by Jamie Davis
Cari’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t want to do this. I have no beef with you.”
“Honey, I’ve wanted to do this since your pretty little blonde head walked in the tavern door.”
Desmond lunged at her, throwing the table to the side with one hand.
Cari used her acrobatic dodge skill to roll to the side off the chair and bounce back up to her feet. She drew her sword and dagger in a single motion, then stepped to the left as she started to circle the room’s perimeter.
Desmond laughed and drew his own blade. “Do you actually think you can use that thing? I haven’t met the girl yet who could best me with the sword.”
“You have now.”
Cari knew she had no chance to run. He had the key to the door and there was no window. She had to take him down to get out of here uninjured. Surrender wasn’t an option.
The biggest problem was the room was too small to maneuver much and take advantage of her superior speed and quickness. That gave his greater strength and reach the upper hand.
She feinted an attack to the right and dodged his follow-up attack to cut a deep slash across his chest with her rapier.
The raider captain growled deep in his throat as he swiped a hand at his chest and stared down at the blood smeared on it.
“You’re gonna pay for that, my girl. I’m gonna enjoy taking you down and teaching you how to treat a man the right way.”
“Seriously, is that all you’ve got? The typical misogynistic talk isn’t going to have any effect on me. You’re obviously compensating for something. Are we a little small in the manhood department?”
She held up the hand holding her dagger and waggled her pinky finger at him.
The raider captain growled with rage, and the message she’d been waiting to see appeared before her eyes.
Taunt engaged.
It was a mistake. Too late, she realized the error of enraging him inside such a small, enclosed space.
Ignoring his own safety and catching her completely by surprise, Desmond charged at her. Snarling incoherent words under his breath, he stretched his arms so wide she couldn’t get past him to escape his attack.
She scored a deep gouge to his left leg before he reached her, but then he slammed into her, spun her around, and pinned her arms to her side. The raider captain lifted her feet from the ground while he leaned backward and squeezed her chest hard.
The air pushed out from her lungs as the raider squeezed harder and harder.
Her newly healed ribs cracked again.
Health damage: Health -8
Cari struggled to draw in fresh air as the combination of the increasing pressure on her chest and the searing pain of her broken ribs made breathing difficult.
Desmond shook her side to side, swinging her legs around like a rag doll.
Her attempts to stab and slash at him with her dagger failed to connect.
Cari felt hot breath on her neck, and the bastard bit down hard on her shoulder, drawing blood.
Health damage: Health -4
Cari had to break free. In desperation, she slammed her head back once, twice, and then a third time, bashing at her attacker’s face.
The third hit met with a crunching sound she felt as much as heard.
Desmond let out a grunt and dropped her as his hands went to his face.
She whirled in place, pressing her attack.
A lunging slash took the raider captain in the gut with her dagger, then she danced back and lunged in again, her sword blade cutting open his throat in a spray of bright red blood.
His hands clutched at his throat as he sank to his knees. Cari walked up to him and placed her foot against his chest.
“I did warn you. The Dread Raider Cari doesn’t like to be trifled with.”
Desmond’s mouth moved, but nothing came out except bloody spittle. Cari pushed him over backwards with her boot, knocking him to the floor, where he writhed until he bled out a few seconds later.
3,000 experience points awarded.
Level Up!
Cari leaned against the wall, breathing hard, wincing at the pain in her side. The nausea that normally followed a killing came once again, but not nearly as strong as it usually did. She didn’t like the reaction she had each time she won a fight, but she also hoped the lighter reaction didn’t mean she was growing calloused to killing people.
After clearing her mind and taking a deep breath to settle her stomach, Cari leaned over and rifled Desmond’s pockets until she retrieved the black room key. She also discovered a single, folded paper.
A quick glance at the paper brought a smile to her face, despite the pain in her side. This was a lucky turn of events.
Quest completed: Retrieve the orders from Desmond Thorne.
5,000 experience points awarded.
A tap at the door jerked her attention away from the dead captain.
“Cap’n Dix, I heard noises. Are you in there?”
“Hold on, Percy. I’m coming out. See if there’s a back stairway down from up here.”
“Yes, ma’am. Let me look.”
Cari fumbled with the key, the adrenaline draining from her muscles which caused her fingers to tremble. It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to open the lock.
Percy waited for her on the other side.
“There’s no stairs other than the ones we came up, but there is a window looking out over the alley behind the tavern. It’s not far down to the ground, ma’am.”
“Good man, Percy. That’s the way we’ll go, then.”
Cari pulled the door closed and locked it, then bent down and shoved the key back under the door.
“That should keep the crew from bothering their captain for a while. Come on, Percy. We’ve got to hurry and get back to the Vengeance before they discover we’re gone.”
“I’m right behind you, ma’am.”
The two of them raced to the window at the end of the hallway. Cari clambered through and dropped to the muddy ground behind the tavern. Percy landed right next to her. The landing jarred her ribs, causing her to gasp in pain.
“Are you alright, ma’am?”
“I’ll be fine. The captain proved harder to deal with than I expected. Let’s get back to the ship, and we’ll see if one of the ladies can’t bind up my broken ribs again.”
The boy shot her a worried glance but nodded and followed her back towards the docks. Together, they ran into the deepening dusk of sundown.
It was time to head for Tandon. They had an assassin to catch.
Chapter 27
Cari stood at the stern rail, watching the lights of the raider town and Cairn Island dim in the distance. It seemed as though they’d made it clear of the harbor, with no one in pursuit.
Her hand reached across and clutched at her cracked ribs as a muscle spasm caused her to wince in pain. She waited for it to subside before turning to her first officer.
“Mr. Bowcott.”
“Yes, Cap’n?”
“I’ll be in my cabin if anyone needs me. Continue on the north-northeast course I set.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
Cari needed to wrap her torso in bandages to splint the ribs while they healed. Again.
“And send one of the female crew members down to assist me.”
“Are you injured, ma’am? Do you need help?”
“I’m not an invalid, Mr. Bowcott. It’s the damned ribs again. Painful, but nothing that won’t heal on its own in time. I just need some assistance with binding the bandages to splint them.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll send Helen down. She’s helped you before, I believe.”
“She’ll do fine. You have the deck.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Cari descended to her cabin and waited for Helen. She took the opportunity to pull up her stats and look at her options for the latest leveling up.
Knowing she faced an accomplished assassin on this part of her quest, Cari added two more points to her speed attribute, increa
sing her defense bonus. She also bumped her prescience to level two. It might help her avoid an assassin’s sneak attack if he or she got the drop on her.
When she finished, she checked her stats one last time before dismissing the display.
Name: Cari Dix
Class: Duelist
Level: 9
Attributes:
Brawn: 12 — +2 to hit/damage
Wisdom: 10 — +1
Luck: 10 — +1 to all saving throws
Speed: 20 — +6 defense
Charm: 14 — +3 personal reaction
Health: 62/90
Skills: Two-weapon combat, Acrobatic dodge — 2, Multi-foe tactics — 2, Feint — 2, Taunt, Bladesmith — Master, Prescience — 2, Seamanship, Navigation — 2.
Experience: 44,900/76,800
A tap sounded at her door.
“Come in.”
Helen, a woman in her forties, entered the cabin. Streaks of gray wound through her braided brown hair. She was lean and fit, though, and looked as though she’d lived a hard life. Her skin was tanned and creased by long days sailing in these tropical waters.
Despite her rough exterior, Helen’s touch was surprisingly gentle. The woman had a reputation for a delicate hand and knowledge of herbal remedies. She often tended to injuries for members of the crew.
“The first mate said you injured yourself again, Cap’n. Let me see what you’ve done.”
“It’s the ribs again, Helen. Someone tried to squeeze the life out of me back on the island. I’m afraid he’s rebroken the ones I broke before.”
“You should be more careful, ma’am.” Helen pointed to her linen shirt. “Off with the blouse. I can’t tend to what I cannot see.”
Cari unbuttoned her shirt and winced as she slid her arm out of the sleeve and pulled the shirt out of the way. Her whole side was bruised black and blue.
Helen made a clucking sound while she shook her head.
Cari chuckled and cringed at the searing muscle spasm caused by her laughter. “You should see the other guy,” she managed to croak out through the pain.
“He better be dead for doing this to you. Otherwise, I’ll swim back and finish the job.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t be attacking innocent ladies anymore.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
Helen fetched the wide strips of muslin cloth they’d used to bind Cari’s ribs before and started wrapping them around her chest while Cari raised her arms.
“There’s blood all matted in your hair. Is it yours?”
“No, he had me wrapped up from behind. That’s from his nose when I broke it, I think.”
“My goodness, I think I’d have paid to see that fight.”
“Honestly, it was terrifying. I’d rather not repeat it again. I much prefer not having to kill people. I’d rather try to find a nonlethal way to solve my problems.”
“Well, as you said, Cap’n, you dealt with him when you had to. Plus, you got away to tell about it. Good for you. Now, let’s get you to your bunk. A good night’s rest will help start you healing. I’ll bring you some willow bark tea to help with the pain. Don’t worry about the ship. Mr. Bowcott and Mr. Dawkins have the Vengeance and the crew well in hand.”
Cari smiled and let the older woman help her over to the bed. Once she lay down, she was surprised at how fast her exhaustion caught up with her. She barely managed to remain awake long enough to drink the bitter willow bark tea Helen brought back for her.
She lay back down and was asleep before she could thank Helen for her assistance.
The seven days at sea on the way to Tandon gave Cari plenty of time to ponder questions raised by what Captain Thorne had let slip before she killed him. On top of that, she had the paper she’d retrieved from the raider captain’s pocket.
It was a letter of marque, directly from the Duke of Charon to any ship captain holding it. It gave the bearer the right to engage, board, or otherwise fight suspected smuggler ships operating off the southern and western coast of the Empire. It also offered the captain in possession of the letter some limited protections from imperial naval vessels chasing raider ships.
Since any ship could be considered a smuggler, it gave the bearer unlimited rights to chase down and board any merchant vessel it encountered.
Desmond had almost certainly used the official document, issued from a member of the Empire’s Privy Council, to avoid getting searched by naval boarding parties after capturing and sinking merchant ships, or raiding coastal communities. If one of the raider captains had such a license to act as a privateer from the Duke, it was a sure bet others had similar letters.
Cari wondered if the Vengeance’s former captain had possessed one like it. She’d been unconscious when his body had been dumped with the other dead overboard. No one had thought to search him for papers beforehand.
Given what she’d discovered, she couldn’t wait to hand over the letter to Liam. He’d know how to present it in the capital in such a way that it offered proof of the Duke’s operations against the Empire.
Thinking of Liam, Rodrigo, Chance, and Thad also got her thinking about the possibility of a traitor among them again. The information she had so far pointed to someone feeding the Duke’s agents information on their whereabouts.
She went over and over their conversations and interactions in her mind to try to see if there was any indication who it might be.
Cari was pretty sure it wasn’t Rodrigo. He’d had ample opportunity to kill Timron and herself while she slept when they were cooped up in that apartment back in the Crystal City.
Of course, he also was one of the only ones who knew of their plan to escape in the coach wearing disguises. Had he merely waited for a more opportune moment for his treachery when it wouldn’t betray him?
Cari didn’t think so, but she couldn’t be sure.
She didn’t know the other dragoons well enough to make a decision either way. Thad didn’t seem to have the sophistication to undertake such subterfuge. Chance had been the only one to figure out who she was in the beginning. He seemed loyal to the Empress as well.
Given the uncertainty of the situation, Cari decided to keep the letter of marque to herself rather than disclose it to Liam right away. If he was the traitor, she’d only be handing valuable evidence against the Duke right into the hands of one of his agents.
Realizing that rehashing the same questions over and over wasn’t offering her any answers, Cari tucked the official document into her coat pocket and headed up to the quarterdeck.
The bosun had the watch, and he was taking advantage of the fair weather and light winds to teach Percy to handle the ship’s wheel, under the watchful eye of the helmsman, of course.
“Good day, Mr. Dawkins. How is our young crewman doing with his current lesson?”
“Very well indeed, Cap’n. He’s coming along nicely. Mr. McShea is a born seafarer for sure.”
Percy tried without success to restrain a smile. Cari chuckled and walked back to the stern rail to look out over their wake.
Mr. Dawkins soon joined her.
“Um, Cap’n, if I may, can I ask you a question?”
“You just did,” Cari said, using a quick comeback to that query she had often heard from her father.
“Yes, I did at that,” he replied with a little laugh under his breath. “I have another question, too.”
“What is on your mind, Dawkins?”
“Mr. Bowcott and I were talking amongst ourselves, and we wondered if you’d given any thought to the disposition of the Vengeance after we arrive in Tandon.”
The question caught Cari by surprise. It wasn’t something she’d considered at all. Mr. Bowcott had explained the law of the sea pertaining to captured vessels away from land. The ship, or at least a significant share of it, belonged to her as the captain. The remaining shares usually belonged to the crew.
She pondered the question. What were her intentions with the ship after they arrived at their destination?<
br />
Her time over the last three weeks at sea, while harrowing, had been among the most liberating moments of her life. For the first time, she’d earned something on her own merits and abilities. She’d fought her way, literally, to become what she was sure was one of the youngest sea captains ever.
The crew of the Vengeance was behind her. They’d proven they were willing to follow her into the teeth of the enemy without blinking. She’d shown her own loyalty to them in return, getting them safely away when her work was finished.
Cari realized Mr. Dawkins was awaiting her reply. She sighed.
“Will it disappoint you if I tell you I don’t know?”
“No, ma’am. We thought, with all you had on your mind, you might not have considered it.”
“And you and Mr. Bowcott have, I take it.”
“Yes, ma’am. It all hinges on determining how long you think you’ll be after we dock in Tandon.”
“I’m honestly not sure. Why does that matter?”
“Well, ma’am, the Vengeance is in need of some refitting and repair, and the hull requires a good scraping to remove barnacles. There’s a pretty good shipyard in Tandon. Mr. Bowcott and I thought we could use some of the raider treasure to reinvest in the ship and make those repairs. That would likely mean a couple of weeks in dry dock.”
“And you’d like to know if I intend to return to the captain’s job after my work ashore is completed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Who’d take the job if I didn’t return?”
“Elrod, um, I mean Mr. Bowcott, is the senior and more experienced of the two of us. I’d step in as his first officer. But that is our option of last resort. We’d like it if you’d consider returning and taking the job yourself.”
“Are you sure?” Cari asked. “This is the chance for you both to take on new and lucrative opportunities.”
“Neither of us is Cari Dix, if you pardon my forwardness. You’re lucky, ma’am, far luckier than either of us. It’s like you really are the Lost Princess of legend, returned to take on the enemies of the Empire like her father did before her.”