Storms of Retribution

by James Boschert

  Count Conrad gave a bellow of laughter at that. “Very well, and the good Lord go with you, Lord Talon. I admire your courage.”

  “You should know that the Sultan will be back, Lord. And next time he will stay, because whether or not he succeeds in taking Jerusalem, and I fear he will, he will want to deny the Crusaders an accessible port for all time. I shall send a ship from time to time with livestock and food for your people. Even if I have to steal it from the Emperor of Cyprus himself. You have my word.”

  Conrad chuckled. “I have heard nothing to make me think that Emperor is anything but a rogue. Steal what you can. And yes, I know the Sultan will be back, and before he comes there is much to be done. The first thing I need to do is to cut that causeway in two, then re-enforce the walls. Send me what you can, Lord Talon. I trust you to keep to your word.” He grinned. “I shall bid you God speed and not keep you, or you might miss those ships you want to deal with. I think you are quite mad, by the way! Ha ha! Surprise is all, though, is it not?” He laughed again, and then without warning he embraced the surprised Talon. “I hope we meet again before too long,” he said quietly.

  “I, too, Lord. I shall see you again, God willing. May God protect you and this city. No one else is as capable,” Talon said, and turned away. He would miss the brusque but cheerful leadership of this remarkable man.

  *****

  As they made their way through the celebrating crowds, with Brandt pushing people aside to let Talon ride through, Rostam looked up at his father. “He really admires you, Father,” he commented. “It is clear from the way he talks to you.”

  “The feeling is mutual, Rostam. He stopped the city from being given away, and if I am not mistaken will continue to hold it against all odds. God protect him and his people.”

  It took only a short while for the archers and Brandt to collect all their belongings from the chambers they had occupied for those long weeks. Rostam and Junayd helped Talon onto the ship, and told him the events that had taken place at the castle. Soon his newfound companions were seen hurrying along the quayside, carrying their belongings and those of Talon and Yosef. Talon was of two minds about allowing the puppy on board, but one look at the stubborn jut of Brandt’s jaw convinced him that it might be better to accept the fact that the Saxon was not going to be parted from his pet.

  When everyone was aboard, the crew went to work and cast off. Talon watched critically as Rostam took charge. The boy knew what he was about. A few well timed orders, swift actions on the part of the crew, and they were clear of the city, passing the small islands scattered about to the north.

  Once they were well on their way out to sea and moving southwest, the ship rising and falling in the ocean swell, Talon called a meeting on the upper deck. Junayd brought a chair from the main cabin for him, and Talon sat down. He sighed; his leg was mending, but too slowly for him. He was deep in thought for a few minutes, oblivious of his companions, who waited in respectful silence for him to speak.

  Finally, he looked up from his reflections and said, “Everyone pay attention. We have some work to do before we go home, but first I want to talk to that pirate. Bring him up here, Junayd.”

  Makhid was brought up onto the deck, his chains clinking with every step. He looked very angry. “Why do you keep me in chains all the time?” he bellowed, shaking his arms angrily. Then he saw Talon and clinked his way over towards him. Yosef and Junayd forced him to his knees before the seated Talon, who eyed him up and down before speaking.

  “After what I have been hearing I have every right to hang you from my masthead,” he stated. “Your cousin’s treachery is reason enough. The attack on my castle and my people? What do you have to say? And stop complaining about the chains. They will stay on as long as I want them to,” he said.

  “I gave my word not to try to escape, and I kept it,” Makhid replied. His tone was sullen, but he also looked uncomfortable. “There is bad blood between myself and my cousin. I cannot speak for him. He has never been one to be trusted, and I dare say he was working with others when he tried for your castle.”

  Rostam and Junayd had told Talon that this was what they thought, too, so he nodded and said, “We are going to Acre. Behave until we get there, and then we will talk again. Meanwhile, you wear the chains for a little longer. Take him below.” Junayd and another man hustled the protesting pirate below decks, and then Junayd returned to hear what else Talon had to say.

  “We are going to pay a visit to a small harbor just over the horizon in that direction.” Talon pointed east. “There are five ships which might already be on the move, but I would like to at least try to lessen their numbers a little before we go home. Do we all agree?”

  Seeing the grins and hearing the excited murmurs, he continued. “Rostam, I will need you to stay in command of the ship, so who else is capable of working the Scorpions?”

  Rostam didn’t hesitate. “Junayd, of course, and Yosef is quite skilled, Father. I am confident that they can manage.”

  “Even the explosives?” Talon asked.

  “Yes, Lord. Master Reza has spent a lot of time with us,” Junayd told him.

  “Good. Then here is what we are going to do. Rostam, please set a course just south of Tyre. Yosef, you stay with him long enough to show him what we are looking for, then help Junayd man the Scorpions. You were, after all, the one who saw the ships in that bay. God, but I hope they are still there,” he added fervently.

  “Dewi and Caradog, string your bows and be ready to use them. You will be assigned forward at first, to make sure no one takes a shot at our men while they work,” he commanded, “but be ready to come back here in a hurry. Brandt, you stay with me. Incidentally, is there any food? My ribs are sticking to my backbone. We’ve been faring very poorly of late.”

  Junayd laughed and gave orders for a meal to be brought. Cold lamb, bread, olives, smoked fish and cheese appeared in short order. Talon helped himself with a sigh of relief, then motioned the others to take what they needed. Brandt seized a leg of chicken and a wing, surreptitiously slipping meat into his tunic. Dewi and Caradog reduced the brass tray of food to a few crumbs, watched in awe by the steersmen, then went forward, still stuffing their faces with cheese and fish.

  “You’d think they had not eaten in a month!” Rostam laughed.

  “In fact, we have not eaten well for about six weeks now,” Talon replied. “But feast or famine, those two never change. I am truly concerned that we will not be able to survive their appetites.”

  Brandt, who was standing nearby, snorted his agreement.

  “Are they as good as Yosef says they are?” Junayd asked with a skeptical glance at his friend.

  “I would guess that they could kill a rabbit at well over one hundred paces,” Talon said, but added when he saw their surprised expressions, “The down side to that is that they would have eaten it before anyone else got close.”

  Yosef nodded his head in emphatic agreement. “By God, I have never seen anything like their shooting—or their eating!” he grinned.

  Everyone grew tense as they scanned the waters ahead for the expected fleet. Talon had hoped to find it still anchored in the bay. In this regard they were disappointed. As they rounded one of the promontories they could see that all the ships were under sail and slowly tacking towards the open waters.

  “This changes things just a little, Rostam. You are going to have to go about very quickly once we have shot our Scorpions. We will only have one chance at one ship, and it is going to be a narrow opportunity.”

  “I hear you, Father,” Rostam responded. He began to call out orders, which were relayed to the crew. Talon remarked how well the men responded to the young man’s orders. There was genuine respect there, he noted. Before long they were speeding towards their objective with both sails as tight as drums and a brisk wind on their larboard quarter. Salt spray was thrown high into the air as the bows ploughed into the choppy waves.

  Yosef wanted to stay near Talon. “I can pro
tect you with my shield, Lord,” he tsaid. But Brandt stepped forward and growled. “You go with them,” he jerked his head at the bows. They need you there, Yosef. I will stay here and protect him, do not worry.”

  Yosef looked at Talon askance, but his Lord nodded and smiled. “Go forward, Yosef. I think it is important that you help Junayd. I am well protected here with Brandt.”

  “They are taking a chance with the weather,” Talon observed to Rostam as their ship raced to intercept the enemy before they could get to the open sea. “The Sultan must be in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. We might have to tack smartly out of the bay, after we are done. I want to get at least one of them!” Talon thumped the arm of his chair.

  Rostam observed his father’s tight features. “That may not be necessary, Father. If we don’t have to go into the bay too far, it will be easier to get back out, and they are coming towards us.” Rostam pointed to the leading ship, which was just approaching the narrow entrance to the bay.

  “Go straight for that one, Rostam,” Talon commanded. His son nodded agreement and called a course over to the steersmen. Their galley heeled a little to larboard, then settled onto its new course, their bow pointing straight at the side of the leading ship.

  Talon motioned Brandt over. “Our galley is not unlike their ships, so their lookout might take us for one of their own. I’d like to get in as close as possible. As Lord Conrad is fond of saying, surprise can make all the difference. Cover your head, Brandt. You’d be a giveaway with your light hair.”

  Brandt nodded and went below, to re-appear with a cloak and a hood that covered his head. Then he came and stood just a few paces in front of the seated Talon, holding his large shield at the ready. At a low spoken suggestion from Talon, several other men carrying shields were detailed off by Rostam to stand by the steersmen. Talon knew all too well how a well aimed arrow could disrupt these men and leave a ship floundering. By this time their galley was within half a league of the enemy ships. These were large, lumbering vessels that Talon estimated had been captured in Acre when that city was taken. Now they were being put to good use by the Sultan to transport a sizable part of his army. The ships were ideal for transporting troops and horses, but not as nimble as his own ship. He felt more confident that they could outmaneuver them when the time came.

  Everyone on the galley was quiet now. Junayd and Yosef were crouched over their Scorpions, the two Welsh archers hidden just behind them. Dewi and Caradog had never encountered these smoldering menaces; they stared wide-eyed at the contraptions which Talon’s companions so confidently prepared for their deadly work.

  The tension on the ship became even more intense as they approached the lead vessel. Now they could see men standing on the decks, watching them; some even waved, mistaking them for an ally come to escort them. But as the course of the galley continued without change and without any acknowledging signal, signs of alarm became evident. Men could now be seen running about, while others pointed and gesticulated towards the silent ship bearing down on them.

  “Ready the Scorpions!” Rostam yelled. Junayd and Yosef waved. They were ready; a thin tendril of smoke that drifted up from their positions was blown forward by the wind to disperse over the bows. They were now within sixty long paces of the transporter. They could see the crowded decks, even some horses, and hear shouts of alarm from men who thought they were going to be rammed.

  “Break out the banner!” Talon called, and the two men on the top of the mast released his banner to the wind. It streamed straight out, clear for all to see, and the crew cheered. There was further consternation on the other ship as they realized that they had been tricked, but it was far too late for them to do anything about it.

  Talon and Rostam were both fidgeting with impatience. They had left it to their men to decide when to release their missiles, but they were cutting it very fine. If Junayd and Yosef delayed too long there was a risk of collision; if they loosed their spears too soon they might not strike in the right place. Then everyone heard the first loud twang of a giant bowstring, and a long, dark object streaked out from the larboard bow.

  The distance was a mere forty paces, and closing. The spear hammered into the wood just below the anchor stone, and for a moment while everyone held their breath it just stayed there, smoking. Some of the people on the other ship were even staring down at the long spear jutting out of the bows when it exploded. There was a flash and a huge bang, and the shock wave washed over the people on Talon’s galley. The front of the transporter seemed to disintegrate in a storm of splinters and chunks of railing which flew high into the air. Then, as Rostam had the steersman begin their turn away from their victim, the other Scorpion string twanged, jerking the machine in its mounts, and another arrow streaked across the narrowing distance between the ships. This one disappeared into the smoke and chaos, and it must have struck lower, for when it exploded the sea around the area boiled briefly.

  Not even waiting to see the results, Rostam was already howling orders at the crew, who leapt into action. The rowers thrust their oars out and hauled on them for all they were worth. The galley seemed to come to a stop in a flurry of foam and mad activity; the sails were hauled round and the vessel heeled. Briefly the sails flapped angrily, then went taut again, and their galley began to pick up speed. Now they were almost parallel to the stricken transporter, which had also slowed almost to a stop.

  “Archers!” Talon called, and Dewi and Caradog came running to stand on the larboard side and begin their game of death. The officers and crew of the stricken vessel were so shocked by what had happened that they were slow to react and thus made easy targets; Talon had told the two men to shoot anyone who looked as though he was a leader. Junayd and Yosef, not to be left out, soon joined them. No one on the other ship dared to show themselves after the first few volleys of arrows downed their comrades.

  “Good work!” Talon called to his men, who laughed and continued to contribute to the chaos and panic on the enemy ship. But soon the stricken vessel was far behind, and the archers finally stopped their deadly work.

  “That was like shooting fish in a bar’rel, Bach!” Dewi exclaimed happily. They could all see that the transporter was sinking; the remnants of the shattered bows were dipping into the choppy seas and not rising as they normally should. It was not long before the entire ship was wallowing deeper in the water. The frantic activity on board was focused on getting boats launched and abandoning the vessel.

  “Father, it looks as though they will sink across the entrance of the bay!” Rostam exclaimed.

  Talon agreed. “I hope so. That will delay the other ships for a while.” The other ships were still under sail and approaching the stricken transporter. There was no more that he could do now; it was time to leave. The screams of the dying and wounded receded as the galley picked up speed and made for the open sea.

  “I have kept my word to the Count,” Talon told his son. “There is one more thing I would like very much to accomplish, and then we go home. Set sail for Acre.”

  *****

  From the deck of the third vessel, His Excellency the Sultan Salah Ed Din peered forward at the sinking ship, which was partially obscured by smoke. “Who was the owner of that galley?” he demanded of his brother, Al-Adil, who was also staring in fascination at the destruction before them. “I am sure I know that banner. Was it Lord Talon de Gilles?”

  “You are not mistaken, Brother,” Al-Adil ground out between clenched teeth. “It was indeed his banner, of that I am sure. God curse the son of a dog!”

  “We will be delayed because of this, and I am not pleased. Perhaps the next time you have him within your power you will insist upon having his parole before you begin any other negotiations?” the Sultan’s tone was cutting.

  “The next time, I shall immediately execute the slippery dog and not even bother to get his parole,” Al-Adil muttered to himself.

  *****

  The galley hove to within sight of the walls of Acre, and waited. The
Christian banners, which had been a familiar sight in the past, no longer fluttered from the battlements; they had been replaced by the banners of the various Arab nobles who had taken up residence. Dominating the lesser ones was a single enormous banner with the crescent and the sword emblazoned upon a green background.

  Talon ordered that Makhid be brought up on deck and relieved of his chains. “Provide him with the best clothes in the cabin, and help him with his toilette,” Talon ordered. “Would you like a shave?” he asked the bemused pirate solicitously.

  “What are you going to do to me?” the prisoner demanded aggressively. “Clean me up, then hang me in front of those walls?”

  Talon struggled to a standing position, supporting himself with a hand on Brandt’s shoulder, and glared back. “Don’t think it has not crossed my mind!” he snapped. “I have every right to do so after the treachery displayed by your cousin. But I shall not. I made a half-promise to your cousin Prince Al-Adil that I might release you, and I intend to keep my word,” he told the surprised man. “A boat will be coming out soon to investigate our business, and you will be free to go.”

  Just at that moment, they heard a call from the masthead. “Sail coming out of the city!”

  Sure enough, a small dhow with a single lateen sail came speeding towards them, and rounded smartly once it was parallel with them. “Who are you and what is your business?” someone shouted.

  “We have a passenger for you,” Junayd shouted back. “Send a boat over.” Within minutes, a small dingy was bobbing over the agitated waves to pull alongside.