by Simon Archer
I opened my own senses and realized that the current we rode turned a bit, angling more directly south. My witch had picked up on it while talking to me and made the proper adjustment with only a little bit of effort. She was a talented woman, my Mary. I wondered, briefly, if she had any real limits, or if there were only skills that she’d not mastered yet.
We continued our small talk as the watch wore on. Other people drifted by, including Tabitha and Ember, and we spoke for a bit. Out of curiosity, I broached the subject of a flying ship to the both of them, curious to see what their response might be.
“Aye!” Tabitha practically cheered, startling some of the deck crew who may or may not have been drowsing. “I’d happily sign on that as crew or command!”
“Could it be done?” Ember wondered. “I have seen orbs of cloth lift from the ground under the application of heated air but never with a load much larger than a small rowboat.”
“I think it can,” I said.
“He’s even done a bit of testing,” Mary added.
“All right,” the fire witch said. “You cannot just say that without an explanation.”
“Fine, fine,” I grumbled as all three women looked at me. They all stayed quiet while I recounted my experiment during our quest for The Golden Bull, and how I’d coaxed the air elementals to lift my ship just a bit while she sailed under the force of a witchwind. Ember and Tabitha had been aboard The Black Cat at the time and hadn’t noticed what happened, but Mary corroborated my story, and they all started chattering about the possibilities a flying ship could offer.
They also raised some rather important and interesting questions, like how high the theoretical ship could fly or how large it could be. It would most likely be lifted and propelled magically, but could it use lifting bags filled with hot air? Or simply rely on air elementals carrying it along on powerful winds?
Overall, the conversation was a light-hearted one, which was something that we all needed after the tension and pressure of recent days. Around us and down on the deck, the sailors went about their work, while behind us, the dwarven ironclad steamed inexorably in our wake.
The future was unwritten, save for one thing. We were bound headlong into the final confrontation with the Death’s Head himself, Admiral Justin Layne, master of the Imperial Admiralty, and his immense, city-sized warship, The Pale Horse. Just for now, though, we were able to put that out of our heads, mostly, and just enjoy the closeness of the moment.
Quite suddenly, the King Narwhal burst from the sea beside us, and Ligeia leaped from atop the monster’s head, somersaulted in midair, and landed in a clear space on the deck.
“Captain!” she called out. “Ships await nigh a day ahead. ‘Tis William Markland with the promised fleet.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I said with a broad grin. “The bastard did it.” Despite an outward show of confidence, I couldn’t help but nurse a niggling doubt that the pirate king would try to double-cross me.
Old habits died hard.
26
“Sails ho!” Gol the Clanless called down from the crow’s nest.
“Here we go,” I said. “Take the helm, Jimmy.”
He nodded and stepped up as I walked down to the main deck and paced to the foredeck, mounting the stairs and taking a spot at the watchpoint that sat at the base of the bowsprit. A small field of sails danced on the distant horizon, and our course would take us straight to them.
“That’s a lot o’ bloody ships,” Tabitha said from behind me.
“Aye,” was all I said. My gaze swept from one end of the waiting fleet to the other. It was still too far to make out classes or colors, but as fast as we were moving, my keen eyes would be able to pick out the necessary details within the hour.
Others gathered on the deck, Tabitha, Mary, and Ligeia among them. Behind us, on the main deck, my full complement of fighting crew stood ready should this turn into a fight. Off to port, the pale back of the King Narwhal broke the surface as the creature exhaled in a blast of spray, took in a breath, and sank back under.
To starboard, the long, low form of The Echo steamed along with white smoke puffing from her stacks. The ironclad looked so serene. Her armored shell hid much of the activity within from prying eyes, but I knew that each and every gun on her was manned and ready.
Ahead, we drew closer. By my memory, we’d be about three days out of Tarrant, and I’d hoped we could make this meeting closer to that particular free town. Bloody Bill needed to assert his dominance, I supposed. A little part of me was disappointed that this meeting was under truce. How much havoc could we wreak among the assembled ships with just the ironclad, I wondered.
They’d seen us, too. Bill had fanned the many ships out across our possible return course, and as we drew closer, they started to raise sails and maneuver into a tighter formation.
“How many do ye count?” I asked.
“Fifty-seven,” Mary replied. “A bit shy of the promised hundred.”
“A bit more’n I expected,” I admitted. “Not so many pirates would throw in on a suicide mission against Layne.”
“I am surprised William even came,” Ligeia mused quietly. “What does he get out of this?”
“His retirement an’ me out of his business,” I answered. “We only gained one of his troves, an’ accordin’ to Shrike, there’s at least four more scattered through the Archipelago.”
“Ah, wealth,” the siren sighed and slid closer to me, putting an arm around my waist and resting her head on my shoulder. “Thou wouldst not leave me, wouldst thou?” She’d slipped into the archaic mode of speech that she occasionally used when she was agitated, or to add gravity to her words.
“Nay, lass,” I replied. “We all be here for the long haul.”
It was as if the siren set off something of a chain reaction. My other wives all crowded around me, and I put my arms around them as we watched Bloody Bill’s fleet grow closer. Soon I could see that all of them flew the flag of truce in addition to their colors, and I even recognized more than a few of them.
There was The Witch’s Promise, Bill’s flagship, riding at the forefront of the others. Nearest to it was the elven ship that had attacked us from beneath a magical cloak. The Crimson Blade was the name I assumed for her, and I scowled at the sight. Other ships caught my eye: The McCullum sisters’ Brave, Von Kolter’s Hellmaw, Peter Wry’s Sparrow.
It was practically a who’s who of pirates that were arrayed before us. “Run up the flag o’ truce,” I called out to the deck crew without turning. If any of the ships before us changed their posture, I had no desire to be caught by surprise. The presence of the elven ship was an unpleasant surprise, and I hoped that it didn’t signify trouble.
I kept scanning the ships of the fleet and picked out a couple of surprises. There was Edison Sloan’s Fearless, the former Imperial officer who I’d spared and freed, and floating close to him was a twin-hulled monstrosity that I’d not seen before. I did recognize the colors, though, that was the old orc I’d once served under, Sturmgar Ironhand.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I muttered.
“What?” Mary was the first to ask.
“Seems Sturmgar’s got another ship,” I said. “An’ looks like we’ve at least a few friends in that field o’ masts.”
“We certainly don’t need enemies,” Tabitha observed.
“Tell me that a stand against that fleet wouldn’t be a glorious send off to the afterlife,” I said with a chuckle. “Not that I’m ready to shuffle off just yet.”
“Eyes on the prize,” Mary told me and reached up to tap between my eyes with a forefinger. “We aren’t here to fight them.”
“I know, I know,” I groused. “I hope this be enough.”
There was no telling how many ships Layne had in addition to The Pale Horse. I’d never seen the full massing of the Admiralty fleet in the Archipelago. It was powerful, but usually just sent out little groups of three to five vessels, depending on the mission.
/> As we closed with the fleet, I signaled The Echo to hang back, and Ligeia dove overboard to rendezvous with the King Narwhal and keep him in reserve. Perhaps this would keep everyone honest. Adra exerted her influence over the Gale, and we glided up next to The Witch’s Promise. Grapnels were set to secure the two ships together, and a gangplank was laid.
I looked across the gap to see Bloody Bill Markland, grinning from ear to ear, waiting for me. Beside him stood a tall, wolfish-looking elven woman with pale blonde hair and hungry blue eyes. She wore tight leathers, and a pair of sabers rode at her hips along with a brace of elegant, elven pistols. Cerridwyn stood with the pirate king, as did several others that I recognized.
“Permission to board, Cap’n?” I called across the gap. It was a time-honored formality and an acknowledgment of truce and hospitality.
“Granted,” Bill said magnanimously.
Mary and Tabitha joined me as I set foot on the plank and crossed over to what I once would have considered enemy territory. The Witch’s Promise was a nice ship. She was significantly larger than my Hullbreaker, with the guns and crew of a fully outfitted man-o-war. If anything, the damned ship was even more impressive from the main deck than she looked from a distance.
Captain William Markland stepped up and bowed with a playful flourish. “Welcome aboard Captain,” he said. “I trust ye know most of my other guests.”
I looked over the gathered captains. Edison Sloan and Sturmgar Ironhand stood among them, rubbing shoulders with the McCullum sisters, Alex and Kelly, Helmut Von Kolter, Peter Wry, and no small number of other notorious freebooter captains.
“I know as many o’ them as they know of me,” I said, but my eyes lingered on the elf.
She returned my gaze with hard eyes. “Wavelord Kieran Stannmos,” she offered flatly. “Of The Coral Spear.”
“Ye know all o’ us,” I said to Bill with a nod. “As ye can see, I managed to fill my end o’ the bargain.”
He looked past me and out to where the ironclad sat among the dark waves. “I see. She don’t look like much. Are ye sure she can do what ye said?”
“Oh, aye,” I said with a grin. “An’ more. I’d wager she could sink this lot all by her lonesome.”
“Really?” One of his eyebrows shot upward.
I just nodded. “I have Sturmgar to thank for the information that led me to her.”
The old orc nodded and grinned at me. “I trust you will take me on a tour, as time permits.”
“Of course,” I said and turned back to Bill. “Speakin’ o’ time, be there any news o’ The Pale Horse?”
“Next to none,” he replied. “She squats, covered in scaffolds and guarded by the whole of the Admiralty fleet, off the coast of Avion.”
“Soon,” Cerridwyn said softly. “Layne does not even try to guard against foreseeing. ‘Tis as if he wants us to know when he sails.”
“Likely he does,” Mary said with a snort. “He wants us to be afraid.”
“Then time is crucial,” I took a deep breath. “Ye’ve gathered a fleet but smaller than I expected.”
Bill’s expression darkened. “More wait at Tarrant, Jetsam, and Insmere, I assure you. We will pick them up as we sail southward.”
I nodded slowly. “Pardon my skepticism, then. Why did ye bring, what, half of ‘em here?”
“Aye, about half,” he replied. “I wanted to meet with ye before we reached the islands proper.”
“In front o’ all o’ these?” It was my turn to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. Bill was not the man to conduct business with onlookers.
“Some of us came to keep ye honest,” Sturmgar called out.
“Others because we were curious,” Von Kolter added.
“We did not believe you’d return, actually,” Alex noted.
“Much as we hoped,” Kelly finished.
Wry just stood with his arms crossed, watching the interplay between us. I could count on a few of the captains here as allies, and they likely had brought more than a single ship. These were the lords and ladies of piracy in the Archipelago, after all.
“Here I be,” I said as I held my hands out to my sides and gave a shrug. “With a Sea Hammer besides. So, let’s be hearin’ yer business, Bill Markland.”
He scowled and looked askance at the other captains. There was some loyalty there, between him and a few of them. Wry and Kolter, maybe, but Kieran was a wild card. She obviously wasn’t too fond of me, either.
“As ye wish,” he said at last. “Most of us be here under the promise of somethin’ or other we might want. Ye an’ I have our pact, but the rest want a place where they can gather. A town ruled by the pirate’s code, so to speak.”
Not every ship operated fully under what was called the pirate’s code, which boiled down to the fact that each ship was a democracy, with the captains elected by the crew, who would obey so long as they held confidence in their leader. A suitable challenge could upset an existing captain, especially if he didn’t have the votes his opponent held.
“So, what precisely do ye want?” I asked slowly.
“Avion,” Von Colter spoke up. “Once the Admiralty is gone, we want to elect one of the captains participating in this madness to govern the town under the code.”
“Is that all?” I said with a smirk. “I got no designs on the place.”
“We also mean to vote on whether or not to make ye King,” Wry added.
There it was. Bill had proclaimed me the Pirate King, but that only carried as much weight as his word. None of the other pirates would go against the cagey bastard while he held the title, self-proclaimed or not, but I didn’t have nearly so much influence.
Yet.
If I could win the day against the Admiralty and his city-ship, then I’d have the support of the pirates and buccaneers gathered here. I also had my own town, along with allies among the free towns. There was always a risk, but I saw no reason to back down from this particular condition.
“Alright then,” I said, “but after we put Layne on the bottom o’ the sea an’ send his fleet cryin’ back to the mainland.”
“I find those terms acceptable,” Bill smiled faintly and turned to the other captains. “What say ye?”
One by one, the gathered captains all assented with nods or ayes. All save the dour elf. She looked me over and scowled. “You would trust an orc to lead such an expedition?”
“Aye,” Bill broke in before I could say anything. “I do, lass. This cagey bastard managed to one-up me, an’ I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
She spat. “Of course, he defeated you, human. I, for one, am not willing to acclaim this green-skinned reaver anything.”
“Too bad you’re outvoted then,” Von Kolter snarled. “Now, fall in or be gone.”
Kieran bristled and gazed defiantly into my eyes. “Prove your worthiness to lead this, orc, and I will.” She ignored the Hellmaw’s captain completely.
“What do ye propose?” I asked impassively. Both Mary and Tabitha bristled at my sides but held their peace, for now.
“Bloody fucking hell!” Bill exclaimed suddenly, whirling on the elf so fast that she took a step back and reached for one of her guns. “Shut yer hole, Wavelord. ‘Tis my command ye be challenging, now, an’ I figure ye’ve no real leg to stand on since Bardak escaped ye on the way to Tarrant just a few weeks past.”
“Aye,” she snarled, regaining her composure. “He fled like a whipped dog before me.”
“I didn’t have time to bloody well sink ye, lass,” I said blandly. “I had a place to be an’ things to do that didn’t involve playin’ yer game.”
Kieran let out a hiss as Bill stared her down. I let a smirk play over my face as I watched. Some part of me took a bit of satisfaction in the idea that Bill was right there to defend me, despite our previous differences. Thing is, I didn’t need it.
I held up my right hand. “Hold up, Cap’n Markland,” I said. “I’d hear what the elf proposes. If she needs proof that I’m the cap’n for thi
s fight, I’ll happily give it to her.”
27
“A duel,” the elf snapped. “Defeat me, and I’ll submit to your leadership.”
“Are ye amenable, Bardak?” Bill asked.
“Aye,” I said. “What be the conditions?”
Kieran’s pale blue eyes shone with the light of conviction. She had no doubt that she could win a fight between us. “Surrender or disarmament,” the elf asserted. “Right now.”
I nodded as she drew her sabers, and Bill and the other captains cleared quickly out of the way. There was no point in waiting.
As the elf strode towards me with murder in her eyes, I called upon the Gale, and with a wave of my hand, blew her across the deck and out into the water, her swords flying.
“Satisfied, I reckon?” I asked Bill as Kieran splashed into the sea about ten yards off The Witch’s Promise’ starboard rail.
Everyone there stared at me in gape-jawed amazement.
“Good,” I continued. “We ain’t got time for this. Fish her out an’ set her on her ship. If she joins us, fine. If not, well, good riddance.” Then I nodded to Bill and gave a chest-pounding salute. “We sail, me hearties! We’ll collect the rest o’ the fleet an’ rally at Insmere. After that, our next stop is the Admiral’s doorstep.”
A cheer went up as I turned and strode back across the plank to The Hullbreaker. Tabitha and Mary followed in my wake, laughing happily. For my own part, I wasn’t sure if I’d handled Kieran properly. I truly had no time for her shit, and defeating her so swiftly and decisively would certainly resonate with both her and the other captains.
