Invasion

by B. N. Crandell

  Chapter 22

  The Ivory Sailor

  Decker rode through the gates of Foxcoast ten hours after setting out. His magical horse had run at a frightening speed the entire way without tiring and had been able to run in a relative straight line instead of following the roads — at one stage even galloping over the centre of Blacksilver Lake. Ciara never ceased to amaze him. Where had this horse come from?

  He was to meet Grand Master Reibeck at the Ivory Sailor Tavern when he arrived and so he asked a member of the City Guard where he might find it. After admiring his horse for a good long while, the Guard pointed him in the right direction.

  The tavern was rundown. The sign with an image of a sailor clad in ivory clothing should have been hanging by two chains but barely hung by one rusted chain. The glass windows were so heavily coated in dust that Decker could barely see inside, while the white paint peeled from the walls so bad that it was hard to tell the building had ever been painted.

  Decker dismounted, once again expecting to be stiff and sore from the long hours of riding, but finding himself more refreshed than ever. He made for the doors of the tavern where a group of rowdy men gathered off to the side.

  “Aren’t ye gonna tether ye fine horse?” slurred one of the men.

  “No need,” replied Decker, “she won’t run off anywhere or if she does she will soon return when I need her.”

  “And what if somebody be stealin’ her? Fine horse like that would fetch quite a price,” said another of the men.

  “Ciara can handle herself.” Decker turned away from the men and entered the tavern with a smile on his face. Likely those men would try to steal his horse. They would be in for quite a shock if they did.

  The tavern presented little better inside than it did outside. Dust hung thick in the air and covered many of the unused surfaces. The wooden tables and benches were all bolted to the floor. Evidently the tavern proprietor grew tired of replacing broken furniture from erupting brawls.

  Despite the condition of the place it was crowded, many of the patrons being sailors. Decker fought his way through the crowd of bodies over to the bar struggling to get near. Three large-breasted women wearing matching tight fitting uniforms busied themselves serving the demands of the many customers while they did a good job of ignoring the continual lewd comments.

  It took time for Decker to get the attention of one of them after shouting over the tumult.

  “I’m looking for an elderly wizard by the name of Reibeck. Is he here?”

  “Are ye Decker then?” she asked.

  “Yes, he was expecting me.”

  “He didn’t mention how handsome ye’d be.” The barmaid winked at him.

  “It probably doesn’t weigh heavily on his mind.” Decker smiled. “So where can I find him?”

  “Room twenty-four. Up those stairs and turn right.” The barmaid pointed to a flight of stairs over in the far corner. “Be sure to come back for a feed and some ale once ye done catchin’ up with ye friend. I’d be happy to wait on ye. Just ask for Annie and I’ll look after ye.” She gave him another wink.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Decker nodded his thanks, turned and shuffled his way through the crowded common room toward the stairs. Patrons were even milling around on the stairs so he had to politely push his way past them. As polite and unobtrusive as he tried to be, he still received a number of angry or annoyed stares. It would be easy for a brawl to erupt in this tavern.

  Exhaustion took a hold on him as he reached the top of the stairs and turned right. He kept his eye on the numbers on the doors as he walked along the narrow hallway. At the end on his left he found room twenty-four. He knocked without hesitation and a moment later a bleary-eyed Reibeck opened the door.

  “My goodness I wasn’t expecting you until at least late afternoon tomorrow.”

  “Evidently my horse has a few tricks up her sleeves.” Decker entered the room as Grand Master Reibeck stepped aside and extended his arm.

  “Or under her mane perhaps.” Reibeck chuckled a throaty chuckle that turned into a short coughing fit. “Take a seat. You must be exhausted and half starved. I’ll go arrange food and drinks to be sent up.”

  “Annie will be sorry to hear that.” Decker sat on a well-used, but comfy padded chair. He let out a large appreciative sigh.

  “Annie?” Reibeck stopped by the door and turned back toward him with a raised eyebrow. “You mean the barmaid?”

  “Yes, she seemed quite taken by me and wanted me to go back down later and order a meal from her.”

  Reibeck chuckled. “Is that so? And did you break her heart by telling her you already had a woman?”

  “No. I was rather anxious to get up here so I let it go at that.”

  “Oh I see.” Reibeck shuffled out the door and closed it behind him.

  Decker must have fallen asleep almost instantly because he awoke when Reibeck returned and slammed the door behind him.

  “I’m sorry to have startled you. I didn’t intend on closing the door so hard.”

  “No need to apologise. I didn’t realise how fatigued I was. It’s strange — when I first get off Ciara after a long ride I feel refreshed. But a little while later fatigue hits me hard.”

  “It makes perfect sense. Whatever magic she uses eventually wears off like all magic does and then your normal body senses kick in. You would do well to remember this. Always allow yourself a reasonable rest period after any long rides on her.” Reibeck walked over and took up a chair by the dining table. “Food and ale will be sent up soon so you may wish to refresh yourself before it arrives. You’ll find a small tub with pump water in the second room on your right.” Reibeck pointed to the hallway leading toward the back of the building.

  “Thanks. I may do just that.” Decker stood up on shaky legs and walked along the hallway. He opened up the second door on his right and walked in, surprised at how neat the room was laid out considering what he had seen of the establishment so far. This must be their fanciest room surely.

  While the tub was small it had a pump tap over it and had a small boiler on a stand if you wanted to add hot water and could be bothered lighting a fire. Even a block of soap sat on the edge of the tub. A towel rack holding a freshly washed towel hung on the wall near the tub.

  Decker stripped off all his clothes, put the plug in place, hopped into the tub and started pumping the water, letting it run over his body. The water was cool but not too cold. It was early autumn and the days had still been quite warm so the water had retained some of that warmth.

  He used the soap to clean the dirtier areas and stuck his head under the tap to wash his thick, fair hair. After a good wash he pulled the plug, stepped out and dried himself. He examined his dirty clothes on the floor and couldn’t bring himself to put them back on so he wrapped a towel around his waist, scooped up his clothes and walked to the lounge room to retrieve his pack.

  Just as he entered the room there was a knock at the door and Reibeck answered it. Annie walked in carrying a tray with two plates and two mugs. She looked over at him and winked while she walked to the table and placed the tray upon it.

  “Feeling fresher I trust?” She set out the plates and mugs on the small table.

  “Much better, thank you.”

  “Hand me those clothes and I’ll see that they are washed and pressed.” Annie hurried over to him and held out her arms to retrieve the dirty clothes.

  “I fear we may be leaving early in the morning.” Decker took a step back and held the clothes tight against him.

  “Then I’ll be sure to mark them as urgent and have them returned to ye first thing in the morning.” She gripped the clothes and pulled them out of his hands. Her eyes looked him up and down before she winked at him again and smiled.

  “Thank you,” was all he could bring himself to say.

  “Don’t mention it. Now enjoy ye meal and don’t ye be forgettin’ that you’re more than welcome down in the common room for an ale or two.” She retri
eved her tray, rushed over to the door and after taking one more glance at him, she left.

  Reibeck broke out in a hearty laugh. “She sure has her sights on you.”

  “I have a woman I am very happy with.” Decker picked up his pack.

  “And yet you have neglected to tell her such.” The old wizard sat at the table and took a deep drink of his ale.

  “As you can see, she doesn’t allow me much of a chance to talk. Now, where is my room?”

  “First door on the left.”

  Decker took his pack to his room and put on fresh clothes. He returned and sat opposite Reibeck. He took a sip of his ale which turned into a large gulp as he realised how parched he was. His dinner consisted of roast lamb with gravy and cooked vegetables. A very simple meal but it smelled delicious and had his stomach grumbling.

  “While I was ordering our meal I secured us a ship for tomorrow. I had one planned for the day after as I didn’t expect you here so early.”

  “Neither did I truthfully. Ciara is really something special. Does the ship Captain know we have a horse as cargo?” Decker cut a piece of lamb, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, savouring the taste.

  “Yes he is well aware. He’ll expect us to do some work for him while we’re on board. I trust you won’t have a problem with that?” Reibeck placed a large piece of lamb in his mouth, dripping gravy onto his long white beard.

  “I’ve never been on a ship so I’ll need to be shown what to do, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “I doubt he’ll get you doing anything too complicated. No doubt just scrubbing the decks and other menial tasks.”

  “How long will it take us to cross the Strait?”

  “Depends on the wind but normally it takes about a day.”

  “A full day? It’ll take that long?”

  “It sure will. Katifi Strait is very wide and travelling over water can be slow going.”

  “Ciara could get me across quicker.”

  Reibeck chuckled. “No doubt she could but the elves would see you dead before you reached the shore. Their law stipulates that no non-elf is to enter their lands by magical means. The punishment for breaking this law is death. There is no quicker way.”

  “I understand. I’m just eager to return home. I sense something very bad is about to happen.”

  Reibeck chuckled. “The very reason for us being here is because something bad has happened.”

  “Yes, but I fear something much worse is coming.”

  “I’m sure that Master Pilk and his orc friend will manage to delay things. It is a specialty of Pilk’s you could say.”

  “Pilk and O’tukka are very capable at their crafts but I think even they are outmatched this time.”

  “They sure are. I have read much about this Sylestra and at the height of her power she was all but undefeatable. It was only a result of her unquenchable thirst for power that she came undone. Dabbling in the affairs of dragons is never wise. I fear for Pilk too. He was my favourite student. He always kept me on my toes and always managed to make me laugh. If I was to ever have to count on somebody, it’d be Pilk as I have full confidence that he would be there for me.” Reibeck stared at the table as he spoke.

  “Yes he’s a good friend, but it’s not only him I fear for.”

  “You fear for his sister too?” Reibeck lifted his head and raised an eyebrow.

  Decker nodded.

  “You care for her very much don’t you?”

  “Mostly she confuses me.” Decker laughed. “But when she looks at me in a certain way my heart begins to race and I feel as though everything will be all right. She is so different to most women. She can be a brutal fighter or a caring Cleric and can switch roles at the drop of a hat. Her personality is much the same and sometimes I don’t know where I stand with her.”

  Reibeck chuckled. “Yes she certainly is Pilk’s sister. I guess it could be defined as passion. It’s passion that makes them fight furiously for the ones they love and care about, while it’s also passion that makes them so tender with these ones. I guess some times they mix up the roles. If you can learn to be understanding of both her sides and adapt to the moment, I’m sure all will be well with you.”

  “I do try to be understanding, but when she is in her defensive position she really knows how to get under my skin.”

  “A sign of a skilful warrior is it not? How do you deal with an enemy opponent attempting the same thing?”

  “I kill them.”

  Reibeck laughed. “That is merely the end result, victory, not how you achieved it.”

  “I ignore their taunts and focus my efforts on identifying their weaknesses.”

  “And therein lies your answer. Once the weakness is identified you need to determine how best to take advantage of that weakness to meet your desired end.”

  “Do all wizards speak in such riddles?” Decker chuckled, but in truth the wizard’s words had been very helpful.

  “Riddles are the best way to draw out answers that are buried deep.”

  “Well thanks for the advice. I’m going to head off to bed now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Decker finished off his ale and stood up.

  “Good night, Master Ranger.”

  Chapter 23

  A Second Gate

  Decker had never seen a port having spent most of his life around Arthea. The ships were much larger than he imagined and the water lapping against their hulls much louder.

  The sun had barely crested the horizon and the morning was the coolest so far this season. The crowded docks swarmed with workers rushing to load supplies and wares on the many ships.

  The Harbourmaster pointed them in the right direction. The Silver Spring was a small ship set in between two much larger ones. The Captain, a heavyset man with black curly hair and a long bushy beard, stood near the ship. Like most of the men Decker had seen in Foxcoast his skin appeared dark and leathery from long exposure to the sun. He wore a dirty white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and tight fitting black pants. A typical white sailor’s cap with high turned up edges sat on his head.

  “Ay I thought ye must’ve bin changin’ ya mind. Sleep in, did we?” The Captain’s voice sounded rough and harsh.

  “Decker here had some clothes he needed to collect first and an enthusiastic barmaid to detach.” Reibeck chuckled and winked at the Captain.

  “Say no more, laddie. The lovin’ of a fine woman afore settin’ sail is wha’ every sailor be needin’.”

  “It’s not what you think—” Decker tried to explain.

  “Nothin’ to be ashamed o’ boy, now we’ve wasted enough time as it is, so let’s be gettin’ this horse loaded up and be settin’ sail.”

  Decker shook his head at Reibeck and brought Ciara to the ramp. The crowds made her very nervous and it took all of Decker’s will and a little of his magic to keep her calm. As she reached the gangplank, she bucked and whinnied. Decker tried to calm her but it didn’t work, she darted off. A little way along the wharf she stopped, turned around, dipped her head and moved it in a forward motion a number of times. Then she turned and galloped away causing mayhem on the docks wherever she went.

  “I think she’s telling me to go on without her and she’ll make her own way across,” said Decker.

  “Do ye have rocks in ya head boy? No way across ‘xcept by boat unless ye horse be a good swimmer.”

  “You might be surprised.” Decker turned and walked across the gangplank.

  “Has the boy lost his wits?” said the Captain to Reibeck.

  “He’s smarter than you might believe.” Reibeck shuffled past the Captain and over the gangplank. The Captain followed soon after.

  Within minutes the ship pulled away from the wharf and headed out to sea. Decker watched in fascination as the sailors went about their jobs and followed the Captain’s orders to the letter.

  “Not sure as I introduced meself before. I’m Captain Tobias Gribble and Grand Master Reibeck tells me you’re a mighty
shot with that bow o’ yours.”

  The Captain had startled him. He’d been so busy watching the men work he hadn’t noticed him sneak up from behind — a rare occurrence for the keen-sensed Ranger.

  “I’m Decker and yes I am a fair aim.”

  “Ah a modest one ye be then? The Wizard tells me ya never miss ya target.” Captain Tobias slapped him hard on the back.

  “I’ve been shooting the bow since I was old enough to hold one and have had to rely on my aim to feed myself many times so one does become quite accurate under those circumstances.” Decker held onto a rope firmly as he tried to become accustomed with the sway of the ship.

  “Well ye might prove handy should we come by any pirates. Until then ye’ll find a bucket and a scrubbing brush below deck. I want me decks sparklin’, ye hear?”

  “Did you say pirates? Surely there are no pirates across the Strait?”

  “Wherever there be merchant ships there be pirate ships lad, but don’t ye worry they are rare and we be well equipped for’em. Now get to work.” Captain Tobias walked off and shouted at a sailor.

  Decker decided he’d better do as instructed or the Captain would no doubt throw him overboard so he went below deck in search of the bucket and scrubbing brush.

  Sylestra came by the cage at the first sign of light as she had promised. She moved with more ease this morning — Pilk assumed she nursed some kind of injury yesterday and had his suspicions about what the cause had been. She pulled a wand from her belt, pointed it at the cage and whispered a few words. An opening developed in the bars.

  “Rest assured that any escape attempt will result in instant death. Guards will have constant physical contact, crossbows will be trained on you and shamans will be assigned to sense any unauthorised magic. All of which have orders to kill you both at the first sign of treachery. Do you understand this?”

  “Understood,” said Pilk in unison with O’tukka.

  “If you doubt my words little Pilk, just ask my son about how I follow through with my threats.”

  “No need, I assure you. I have a good sense of your character.”