by Simon Archer
I rather doubted any of them save Bill would try to stand directly against me, now, if it ever came to that. I’d just have to worry about knives and gunshots from the shadows. Good thing I had a loyal crew surrounding me.
My sailors reeled in the gangplank and cast off the grapnels while Bill’s crew did the same on their side. I looked back to see Bill and Sturmgar grinning at me while Cerridwyn looked on with hooded eyes. The other captains were making their way to the dinghies and longboats that would carry them back to their respective ships.
“Once we are free,” I called out. “Raise the sails. Jimmy! Make a course for Tarrant.”
“Aye, Cap’n!” my first mate called from the helm. Adra, sitting in the shadow of the mizzenmast behind him, lifted her gaze and set the Gale to blowing. Behind us, the ironclad began accelerating as we did, and the King Narwhal, with Ligeia crouched on his back, breached and dove under in a crash of spray.
The Hullbreaker gathered speed as we sailed past the other ships of Bill’s mismatched fleet. Pirates gathered on the decks to wave us on and cheer. We weren’t the only ones who saw the benefit in a free Archipelago, though it struck me that no small number of the ne’er-do-wells cheering us on relished the idea of doing what they willed far more than they did the idea of freedom for all.
Once we dealt with the Admiralty, we’d have to face the Empire. Would Blackburn be more inclined to deal with the free towns fairly as potential trading partners and allies, or would he choose to direct his forces to finish what Layne had started?
That was a question for another day. Right now, we had to deal with the Admiral himself, and find proof of his quiet rebellion against the crown. I stood against the port rail and waited until the whale broke the surface once again to breathe and waved to my siren. I wanted to meet with my wives and Jimmy.
When Ligeia waved back and the King Narwhal angled to intercept the ship, I turned and headed for the doors leading below. “Set a watch, Jimmy. We need t’ discuss a few things.”
“Aye, Cap’n,” he said with a nod and watched me disappear within.
Instead of my office, I went to the War Room, spread out a chart of Avion and the surrounding seas, and waited. Mary, Tabitha, Adra, and Ligeia joined me shortly, followed by Jimmy.
“Anyone else ye need?” he asked from the doorway.
“Ember an’ Rhianne,” I said. “Tabitha can fill Jenny in, but I want to get ye all considerin’ what’s coming.”
He nodded and disappeared back into the hallway for a bit while we chatted pleasantries and waited. Mary and Tabitha paid the most attention to the map, sneaking looks at it every now and then.
Once Jimmy returned with the fire-witch and the undead one, I rose slowly to my feet. “As ye all should know by now, Bill Markland did indeed gather a fleet to help us fight the Admiralty fleet.”
I placed a crow’s skull on the map just off the southern coast of Avion. “Now, this is The Pale Horse, an’ it be our ultimate target. What I don’t know is how many ships Layne has protectin’ her.” I looked over at Ligeia. “I need ye to make all haste down there and have a look at the lay o’ things. If ye could, pass on a message to Kargad an’ Shrike that we be on the way, too.”
My siren nodded. “Yes, Captain.”
“Good,” I said. “We’ll have another o’ these meetings when we reach Insmere, but I’m thinkin’ the sooner we all be thinkin’ about this, the better.”
“You mean to depend on magic, do you not?” Rhianne asked.
I focused my gaze on her and gave a slow nod. “A bit, aye,” I admitted. “I ain’t worried about the fleet surroundin’ Layne’s ship, really. I don’t think we be havin’ near enough ships to sink the damn thing. It’s far too big, has too many guns, an’ I’ll wager it happens to be more enchanted than anythin’ in these isles.”
“You would not be far off the mark in thinking so,” the undead witch observed. “Though it sounds as if you have an idea.”
“I do, and I wanted to see what ye all thought of it,” I said, “but first things first. Jimmy, ye’ll captain The Hullbreaker for this scrap. Adra will stay with ye and work the Gale since only she an’ I can.”
The she-orc nodded slowly, and her eyes focused on me. I could tell she didn’t like the idea so far, but I had to plow ahead.
“Tabitha, do ye want to captain The Black Cat or join me in my mad plan?”
“Tell ye what,” she replied. “Let’s hear the rest o’ yer plan, an’ then I’ll decide.”
“Fair enough,” I said with a laugh. “We’ll bring half our fleet around one side o’ Avion, an’ the rest around the other. Once the Imperials are engaged, The Echo steams straight up the middle and rams into The Pale Horse. If I am right, this’ll open up a hole in her that I can take a small crew through. Now, I wager she’s a bit softer inside than out.”
“What makes ye think ye can breach her hull?” Tabitha asked.
“The ironclad’s ram is akin to a drill,” I said. “I’m bettin’ it can tear through the enchanted hull as easily as it can the steel hull o’ another ironclad.”
“Ye might be on to somethin’,” Mary rubbed her chin and made a face.
“‘Tis a hard choice ye give me, Cap’n,” Tabitha purred and leaned back.
“Aye, I know,” I shrugged and looked down at the map while I continued, “With Mary, Ember, and Rhianne, I suspect we can make short work o’ any crew an’ guards betwixt us an’ ol’ Death’s Head. Without knowin’ her decks’ layout, though, we might not be able to find him fast.”
“I can help there,” Rhianne said softly. “I’ve been to his office in the bowels of the ship. Once we’re in and I have my bearings, I can lead you there.”
“Better an’ better.” I grinned and turned to Ligeia. “A lot hinges on ye, lass. As well as scoutin’ for us, I need ye to gather Tiny an’ the King, collect all those young lascu ye befriended, an’ deal decisively with the merfolk as well as helpin’ sink ships.”
My siren grinned then. “I shall sing for them, too,” she said.
“Aye. We’ll pass a warnin’ among the rest o’ the fleet about ye. Hopefully, they’ve enough wax to stop up every bloody ear aboard the ships.”
“That’s a bold plan, Cap’n,” Jimmy said. “An’ I think we all like it, but is there any way we can back ye up once ye manage to get inside The Pale Horse?”
“Just refrain from sinkin’ her ‘til we make it out,” I said to him. “Though in truth, I ain’t sure ye can hurt her. So, I’d most appreciate that ye keep my Hullbreaker in one piece.”
He nodded and laughed, although it seemed a little strained. The foppish man took his duties as first mate seriously, and while he’d commanded my ship before, it was never under a full combat situation.
“Don’t ye fret, lad,” I assured him. “I have faith in ye.”
“Thank ye, Cap’n,” he said with a slow nod of his head.
“I suppose you need me to join your assault crew, Captain Bardak?” Ember asked.
“Aye, if Tabitha be willin’ to loan ye out,” I replied.
“Tabitha will bloody well go along, too, an’ drag her witch with her,” the Ailur woman said firmly. “This seems like the adventure of a bloody lifetime, it does. So much as it pains me, I’ll leave Jenny to captain The Black Cat.”
“Glad to have ye aboard, lass,” I said with a smirk.
Tabitha just grinned back at me.
“Are you certain this is the time, Splitter of Skulls?” Adra asked. “Are you sure of your course?”
I furrowed my brow and looked at the shamaness thoughtfully. “I don’t see that I've got a choice, Adra,” I said after a long pause. “We must stop Layne before he sails, else there will be death aplenty. My fight, our fight, has long gone beyond revenge for the slight Commodore Arde an’ Lord Broward dealt me. Y’see, I can forgive a man tryin’ to kill me, even if ‘tis stabbin’ me in my back. What I ain’t willin’ to forgive is the slaughter o’ folks that might be different in
their beliefs, the color o’ their skin, or whether or not their ears be pointed or round.”
“What of the elves?” She looked at me sharply.
“My fight there was for an honest reason,” I answered, leaning forward. “Gold an’ spoils. I had somethin’ to prove, an’ I had a letter o’ marque to harry their shippin’. But,” I raised a finger to point at the low ceiling, “I never attacked one o’ their towns or sought to kill ‘em just because o’ what they were. Hells, I don’t even hate the snotty, pointy-eared buggers, war or not. Mostly just seems we be standin’ on opposite sides.”
“You are a strange man, Splitter of Skulls,” Adra asserted, a faint smile on her tuskless face. “And you are very much an orc and a pirate.”
I smirked again and give her a single nod, then looked around the room at the others. “Methinks I shall take that as a compliment.”
Adra cackled and leaned back in her chair. “Do you want me to call for more allies? The siren takes the creatures of the sea, and I call to the elementals of wind and wave?”
More magic in this fight could turn the tide. I expected resistance from the Sisterhood witches and any other sorcerers that Admiral Layne might employ.
“Aye,” I said. “Bring everything to bear that ye can. I expect this to be the fiercest fight we’ve had yet.”
“Likely,” Rhianne finally spoke, her voice dry and sardonic. “I will cite what I know of the forces arrayed against you if you will.”
We all looked at her. “‘Twould be helpful to know,” I observed with a faint frown.
“I apologize for adding my voice late in the conversation, but I was curious as to what tactics you would all propose in facing the Admiral,” she said contritely. “My experience is also a bit limited since I served and died under Commodore Arde. However, I can say this: Layne has very few of the Sisterhood in his trust. You’ll face Marai Bloddwenn and whatever coven she’s managed to scrape together since Mary’s rebellion and my death. However, while only a few witches will be aboard The Pale Horse, there will likely be as many sorcerers, necromancers, and loyal soldiers surrounding him as he can manage to entice aboard.”
“Or control,” Mary murmured.
“Indeed,” Rhianne said with a nod. “Lack was skilled at subverting the will and mind, although Marai makes him look like a rank amateur.”
Ember let out a low whistle. “I’d forgotten that was one of her specialties. Do you think it’s possible that she may be the one in control?”
The undead witch shook her head. “Oh, no. Layne rules his roost with an iron hand. He seems immune to anything that could control the mind or sway the soul. There was even some talk that he was a monster in human guise.”
“I’d not be surprised by that,” I mused. “The sheer scope of his ambition is impressive.”
“Not to mention his age,” Mary threw in. “How long has he been Admiral?”
“Nigh on forty years,” Rhianne said. “Some of the men say that he does not die because he is Death. I think that happens to be the image he’s created for himself. Hence The Pale Horse.”
“Man, Death, or demon,” I said firmly, “his tyranny ends.”
28
More ships waited outside the port of Tarrant and raised sails to join us as we passed. Pirate and town flags flew from every mast. If there was one unfortunate issue with the growing fleet, it was that many of the ships weren’t reinforced to withstand the stresses of witchwinds or other sorts of enhanced propulsion.
So, we slowed. The idea strained my patience, but I wanted this to be a show of force and solidarity as much as it was a gathering of ships to fight the Admiralty. If there was a good side to our reduced speed, it was that Ligeia and the King Narwhal would be able to fully scout the enemy, gather her undersea forces, and return to report before we even reached Insmere.
Signals passed between the ships via strong lungs, mirror flashes, and flags. I had the growing fleet gather so that the ironclad steamed along, hidden from casual view behind a forest of masts and sails. Likely it wouldn’t matter, but if we could keep The Echo an unknown, the more likely it would be to surprise and demoralize the Admiral’s navy.
I looked out over the various sizes and classes of ships that spread out behind and beside The Hullbreaker and rubbed my chin through my beard. Likely there were Imperial spies among them. Perhaps there were even saboteurs.
They weren’t my problem. I had the crew I trusted on The Hullbreaker and The Echo. Once we reached Insmere, I’d gather the rest of my inner circle, and we’d pass on a basic strategy to the other captains.
It all boiled down to every ship in the fleet being a distraction so that we could get to The Pale Horse aboard the ironclad. I had no plans to tell the other captains that. They all wanted to strike a blow against the tyranny that the Admiralty of the Archipelago had imposed as Layne consolidated his power. They would strike it, too. I had no doubt that every ship following me was spoiling for a fight with the unwanted Imperials.
What I didn’t like was the demand for Avion as a sort of free haven for pirates, but it seemed a fair enough price to pay. If the free towns could accept it, then I’d allow the buccaneer captains that concession. Of course, I expected they’d loot everything and burn the place to the ground before fighting over the ashes, but that wasn’t my problem. I had Insmere, along with trade agreements guaranteed by both Caber and Jetsam. Tarrant was problematical, though, considering that it was mostly a power struggle between guilds, merchants, and would-be pirate kings like Bloody Bill.
I wondered what I thought of the idea of taking Markland’s title, especially since he was the one bestowing it. My wives thought of it as a victory, but I wasn’t so certain. The orcish part of me sneered and told me that it wasn’t mine if I didn’t take it, and I was inclined to agree.
Besides, did I really want to be king over these motley brigands of the sea? That was another question I’d have to answer, and soon.
“Broodin’ again, ain’t ye?” Tabitha Binx had slunk quietly up to the helm while I was lost in thought.
“Mayhap a bit,” I said with a snort and a shake of my head. “Second thoughts about this ‘Pirate King’ thing. Part o’ me is pleased as punch, but another part tells me that it ain’t nothing but a symbolic gesture on the part of a man who gave himself the bloody title since he’s the wealthiest bastard of all the buccaneers.”
She studied me for a long moment with her luminous eyes. “Ye know that words mean nothing, aye? Ye happen to be several times the man Bill Markland is, an’ everyone o’ yer crew would follow ye into hell itself. He just buys or intimidates his way through the world.”
Tabitha shook her head. “Perhaps he really did feel for Ligeia, or perhaps ‘twas all a show. I cannot truly say. I do think he loves the witch, though, but how much o’ that be because she helped him gain his wealth?”
“I think that the whole proposal about Avion is for show,” I mused. “Reckon we’ll see though.”
“Aye.” She smirked a bit. “So, have ye time to answer a question for me, an’ speak plain?”
I gave the small, black-furred feline woman a sidelong look. She gazed back with her eyes intent and a serious expression on her face. “Ask away,” I replied.
“Why do ye want some of us inside with ye, and some outside?” Tabitha said, watching me.
“Because each one o’ ye has talents best employed differently,” I replied. “Ye, Mary, Rhianne, an’ Ember work well together, and yer particular skills lend themselves to workin’ in close quarters with me. What’s more, the witches an’ I can deal with any sorts of magical an’ spiritual threats as well. Adra is best in the open with access to her elements an’ the freedom to call up big things that would be a problem inside a ship, even a ship as large as The Pale Horse.”
Tabitha nodded slowly as I continued, “Ligeia, too, is better off with the freedom of the seas. She can also disable crews an’ ships with just her voice. Takin’ her inside with us would be doin’ h
er a serious disservice.”
“That makes sense,” the Ailur said thoughtfully. “From my own observations, methinks I’d do much the same, though I do wonder why ye don’t want to bring any other close fighters.”
“I’m expectin’ the inside o’ that ship to be tight goin’. Even big as she is, there’ll be bottlenecks an’ switchbacks a-plenty where one warrior could hold off hundreds,” I explained. “We need to move fast an’ hit hard, an’ I needed those who could do just that.”
She grinned, and her tail gave a twitch. I knew something was coming.
“Do ye want to add Ember to yer collection o’ bedmates?” Tabitha asked, still grinning.
I sighed and leaned a bit on the wheel. “Two questions, then.”
“Aye?”
“First, are ye serious?” I asked, “And second, is she interested?”
The feline paused and reached up to scratch at one of her ears. Her tail twitched back and forth, and she smiled brightly up at me. “Well, mostly, aye,” she answered. “An’ I ain’t really broached the subject to her, but she’s asked me now an’ again about ye.”
“Hrm,” I grunted and gazed off over the deck, ignoring the movement of the deck crew as they went about their duties. The Gale shadowed the fleet, biding its time for when we might need it, happy to receive any sacrifice of blood or power we sent its way.
I mulled over Tabitha’s words, and then let my thoughts drift to Ember Spark. She was another Sisterhood witch, like my own Mary, with red hair and bright green eyes that blazed with emerald fire when she used her hexes. Unlike Mary, whose powers ran to the more subtle arts and supported her skill with paired knives, Ember depended upon the use of her magic to burn and frighten. There was nothing subtle about the fire-witch, but she did exhibit a kind of soft-spoken shyness, somehow fading into the background during conversations and action, yet always present, and very dangerous. She’d make quite an addition to my harem of wives, but I’d truly seen no sign on her part that there might be a touch of interest in her blazing heart.
