by R J Hanson
“Parry ‘em now, boys,” called Vincst who stood between Roland and Eldryn. “Keep ‘em on the planks as long as you can!”
The planks were only wide enough for single file travel but, with so many secured to the Coarse Wind, each defender faced two or three pirates as they reached the Slandik vessel.
Roland and Eldryn did as they were told and made all of their initial sword strokes defensive. Even without the command they would have been hard pressed to get in an attack when facing so many adversaries at the same time. They struggled but managed to halt the pirates’ charge.
Roland wore a heavy mail gauntlet on his right hand that he had borrowed from one of the crew. It was typically worn for risky work with a rope to prevent the wearer from a severe burn or from losing a finger. Roland used it to protect his hand from the edge of Swift Blood. With one hand on the pommel and another two thirds of the way up the blade, Roland was able to use the long weapon in tight quarters without the necessity of the usual broad swings of his normal fighting style.
He caught the blade of a pirate on his right with the cross piece of Swift Blood, twisted it aside, and struck the pirate in the nerve just above the collar bone. The strike stunned him just long enough for Roland to use the point of his Shrou-Hayn to parry the pirate on his left. The fighting was close and vicious, and carried on like that for several long minutes.
Roland heard a man yell to his side and turned to see Vincst with his thumb stabbed up the nostril of a pirate and hoist him in the air by it. Roland admired that move. Simple. Effective.
His admiration went on for far too long. As he managed to knock another pirate from the boarding plank, he felt a rough hand grab his weapon’s belt. One of the pirates knocked overboard by Vincst had lashed out and caught Roland’s belt. Roland was tugged forward by the weight of the man toward the railing and pulled off balance. His size and strength would have been enough to remain on deck if he hadn’t also been clubbed on the shoulder with a mace at the same time. In his fall Roland took two pirates into the water with him. But fall he did.
Vincst saw the fall but had no time to react or help. It was then that Captain Scalyern gave his command. He yelled in the Slandik language a simple word, ‘yen,’ meaning ‘now.’
The pirates discovered that the Slandik had not left the deck of the Coarse Wind open, but only the planks that joined the ships. Scalyern’s boarding crew had managed to herd the rest of the attackers onto the planks when he called out his command.
On his word the rudders of both ships were wrenched violently and the anchor of the pirate ship was dropped. When two ships were lashed together in such a fashion and one ship attempted to turn, typically the lashing was strong enough to keep the other ship alongside it. When both ships were turned and one slowed by a dropped anchor then the planks and lashings would not hold. Nor did they hold on that night.
As the ships pulled apart from each other, hook lines snapped and boarding planks shattered. The air was filled with the twang of ropes wrenching apart, the thunderous cracking of wood, and the screams of men. In that one horrible moment the bulk of the pirate crew was dropped into the waters below. A great cheer came up from the Slandik and Eldryn cheered with them, not knowing that his friend was in the killing waters below.
The move was decisive and the pirates knew it. The pirates remaining on deck dropped their weapons opting for prison or slavery rather than death. The crew of the Coarse Wind began the work of tying up prisoners and seeing to their wounds. They also began the work of fishing some of the pirates from the waters and securing them with the rest.
Eldryn began to look about for Roland and then noticed the taut chain secured around the main mast of the Coarse Wind. He knew then that Roland had gone into the water. As he scrambled to the chain to begin pulling his friend up from the sea the chain slackened, and then dropped. So too did Eldryn’s heart.
“Shark, maybe,” Vincst said. “Too bad, he seemed a good sort.”
Vincst walked with Eldryn to the side of the ship where the chain hung loose over the railing. Both were surprised to see Roland’s dagger stuck in the side of the ship just at the water line. They were even more surprised when Roland hauled his head above that same water line.
“Don’t begin the eulogy just yet,” Roland said from below.
Roland worked to pull himself up and both men on the deck grabbed for the chain. A joint effort hauled Roland up to the deck railing. Roland grabbed the edge of the railing and hoisted himself up onto the deck. As he rolled over onto his back, he took up the rope tied to his right wrist, the other end secured to his sword, and pulled it a few feet until Swift Blood was back in his grasp.
“El’, would you help me with this chain?” Roland asked as he began to untie the coil of iron from around his waist.
“If you mean to tie it to Vincst here and throw you both back in, then I’d be happy to!”
Roland and Vincst exchanged a puzzled look as Eldryn stomped off to roughly bind more of the pirate prisoners.
“I told you it would work,” Roland called after him.
Vincst walked over to where Roland sat, still unwinding the chain, squatted next to him, and clapped him on the shoulder.
“How about that,” Vincst said. “We’ve our own walkin’, and talkin’ aver sl’Okin! If you ever need work then there’ll always be a spot here for ya’. Any anchor that can walk its self to the sea could save us a lot of work!”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Roland said.
Some of the pirates were moved to the bilge while the rest were put to work at the oars of Coarse Wind. Vincst and a few others were ordered to the pirate ship, newly dubbed Sea’s Bounty, and sailed it in the wake of Coarse Wind.
“What’s to be done now?” Roland asked Captain Scalyern.
“We’ve no need of a schooner,” Scalyern replied. “We’ll sell her for what we can get in Lavon along with her cargo. We should see a fine profit from the night’s work.”
“I meant with the prisoners,” Roland said. “Will you be questioning them?”
“Question them about what?” Scalyern said.
“About attacking us, their motive or who they might be working for. About where their lair is or if they are in league with any others.”
“None of that is my business,” Scalyern said simply. “Nor of any interest to me. They attacked us and we captured them. That’s all there is to it.”
Roland thought deeply on Scalyern’s perspective of the pirates. Such lack of concern about bandits, what they might do, and how they operate was an alien philosophy to him. The ideals of protecting the weak by pursuing evil doers was so ingrained in him that any other approach, or lack thereof, had not even occurred to him.
“You captain a warship, though,” was the only thing Roland could think of to say.
“Yes. We trade when we can and, when the House of Thorvol calls for war, we answer that call. We kill who we must. The knowing and the reasoning is for someone else.”
“So, then a trial and hanging in Lavon?” Roland asked.
“Trial maybe, but not likely hanging,” Scalyern said.
“Surely they don’t balk at hanging a man for piracy there?”
“Oh, it’s not sentiment, boy,” Scalyern said. “It’s business. We’ll be paid a ‘reward’ for bringing them in. The Marshal of Lavon will jail them, for a time, and then sell them as slaves to whoever can pay. He puts them on the Block.”
“But slavery is against the law in the Kingdom of Lethanor,” Roland said. “Surely Lady Decelles upholds the laws of Lethanor.”
“Oh, aye, it is indeed the law,” Scalyern said. “But the Marshal of Lavon does as he sees fit. The good Lady Decelles generally allows him a free hand. She’s mostly busy with Degra, the city on the southern end of the isle. They don’t call it slavery, anyway. Not exactly. More like prisoners working off a fine. A mighty steep fine. The Marshal judges what their fine is, meaning he sets their price, and the captains or merchants that pay th
at ‘fine’ are entitled to the labor of that prisoner until the debt is paid. Usually works out to about five silver a year. So, the prisoner, if he has friends with coin, can buy his freedom, or he is more or less sentenced to so many years of hard labor.”
“How do they know that the prisoners are released when their time is up?” Roland asked.
“I don’t think they care, lad. Rough guess, but I’d say the life of a slave kills three out of every five men. It is a hard life,” Scalyern said, gesturing to his whip marks.
“So, you were once sold in Lavon?”
“Oh yes,” Scalyern said. “Many years ago. I was a bit rowdy in my youth. Lucky enough that I was bought by an honest man. He turned me loose after my five years to him was done.”
“If he was such a good man, then who whipped you?” Roland asked.
“Oh, he and his men did. As I said, I was a bit rowdy back then.”
The following afternoon the great trade city of Lavon was in sight. Ships of every sort maneuvered around one another for mooring at one of the many docks. Roland and Eldryn were both excited to see the variety of marvels that bustled through the streets of Lavon, and Roland looked forward to returning to land. However, they discovered there was a lot of work to be done before they would be ashore.
Spring was upon the world and as the flowers in the fields around Lavon bloomed, so did the economy. The bay of the trade city was choked with ships laden with goods, and sailors laden with desires for land and entertainment.
Scalyern, with half of his crew aboard Sea’s Bounty, needed every hand. Having learned some of the craft of sailing, both Roland and Eldryn helped with the swift work required aboard the Coarse Wind.
Roland noticed a much smaller boat, a cartel he would learn, carrying about a dozen men. He could identify eight private guard, or mercenaries, two men who were most likely merchants by their dress and manner, and two men wearing the balanced scales banner of Lavon on their tunics. The group traveled from one vessel to another conducting some sort of business.
“Merchants traveling with tax guards,” Scalyern said following Roland’s gaze.
“Tax guards?”
“Yes. The merchants are likely just looking over cargo to see what goods are to be traded and negotiating a deal ahead of time. But no deals over fifty gold can be struck unless they are finalized in the Tax House with the blessing of the Marshal or his men. Those guards are there as a reminder that the Marshal is watching.”
“Why do they wear a symbol of justice then?” Roland asked.
“Justice? Oh, in Lavon it’s not about justice, it’s about a square deal. More importantly, it’s about paying your taxes. They keep a firm hand on the trade in these parts. Not to regulate what is traded, but to ensure the appropriate fee is paid for the deal. In Lavon, anything can be bought or sold, any person can do the buying or the selling, and all deals made are under the protection of the Marshal. They guarantee the safety of those involved in the exchange. They also make sure to know exactly what is being sold, for how much, and that the just taxes are paid to the Council.”
“So, no selling under the table,” Roland said.
“Exactly,” Scalyern replied. “Selling under the table, as you put it, gets you put on the Block. Attempting to bribe a tax guard gets you put on the Block. Any type of theft, and you’re put on the Block. Backing out on a deal once struck gets you put on the Block. I think you get the idea.”
“Something else you need to know,” Scalyern said taking his gaze from the merchants to look Roland in the eye. “When you step off the ship a tax guard will take down your name and what ship you’re with. He’ll also ask you and me if you’re taking the same ship out. That way anything you two do in Lavon that they don’t like can be laid at our feet as well for bringing you here. It’s a policy that causes most captains to keep their trouble makers aboard ship. It also discourages desertion by sailors. They have another policy here that you’ll likely not be fond of. That tax guard that takes down your name will make a careful note of what weapons you carry and have you secure them here, on the ship.”
Roland opened his mouth and Captain Scalyern already had his hand up. Roland gave him a hard look and the captain continued.
“He’ll have you leave them here, boy,” Scalyern said. “And if you go ashore, leave them here you will. They’ll be safe, you have my word on that. The Marshal doesn’t allow anyone to carry a blade or bow into Lavon except king’s men, a few chosen lords, and his tax guard. You’ll be allowed one dagger, for dining with and so on, but that’ll be it. Do you hear me, now?”
“Understood,” Roland said. “We will not bring you any shame.”
“Shame!” Scalyern said and laughed. “I wear my shame in these scars. I don’t hide them. The world can know what I’ve done as the gods surely do. I just don’t want you costing me any coin.”
The late hour finally came when Coarse Wind was secured to a pier in the Bay of Lavon next to Sea’s Bounty. This was the first time since setting sail from Modins that the whole crew could rest without posting a guard. Of course, they took that rest aboard ship.
“You are so sure of these ‘tax guards’ that you keep no watch?” Roland asked.
“Oh, it’s not my neck, my crew, or my cargo they watch out for, lad. It’s their own reputation. Men of the sea put up with the Marshal and his taxes and his rules for one reason. Their goods are safe here. Men of the coin oblige for the same reason. The Marshal, can’t say I ever heard his actual name, has a way of looking into a man’s mind and heart. He knows a thief and can spot a liar. Some of the best thieves and liars in the world come to this Jewel of the Sea to ply their own trade. And thus far have been caught to a man.
The following morning the sun began its climb and spread its warmth to the walls of Lavon and the waters around it. The smell of sea salt mixed with the scents of spices and herbs growing in the fields nearby.
Although eager to see the city, Roland and Eldryn trimmed beards they were still growing accustomed to and bathed as they could. Their weapons and armor were oiled out of habit but, much to their chagrin, were left behind. Roland wore his flaming dagger as his one permitted small blade. Eldryn wore one of the brace of daggers found in Nolcavanor.
Chapter IV
The Jewel of the Sea
The boys, for in many ways that is still what they were, expected the air in Lavon to be close and filled with the stench common to large cities. They were happy to learn that the breeze from the sea, along with the careful layout of the city and its walls, pushed cool fresh air throughout the streets of Lavon. They were greeted with a mixture of fresh sea air and pleasant perfumes. They had also noted a wealth of flowering plants in the fields just beyond the city’s walls.
Much to Roland’s surprise, every man he saw complied with the Marshal’s rule about the carrying of weapons within the city. And he saw almost every kind of man. Fops and pirates, mercenaries and merchants, knights and paladins, monks and squires, sailors and farmers, craftsmen and laborers all mingled within this great throng.
“They allow children here?” Roland asked, his gaze caught by a diminutive fellow dressed in silks and carrying a small dirk.
“That’s no child,” Vincst said, following along behind the boys.
“I thought Halflings were a myth,” Eldryn said.
“No myth,” Vincst said. “They do keep to themselves though. I’ve only ever seen them in Lavon, though I understand their home is not near here.”
“I’ve read many books on battles, lands, and generals,” Roland said. “I’ve read books on economics and politics. I’ve also read philosophy and the Holy Book of Bolvii. I’m not aware of any mention of them.”
“They wouldn’t be,” Vincst said. “They tend to go unnoticed. I believe they prefer it that way. The ones that travel here are merchants, and those are few. I understand they don’t much care for the rest of us who dwell outside of their little world.”
Vincst laughed at that, findin
g himself very funny. Apparently, he was the only one who found it so. Roland and Eldryn continued to look about. Roland noted the tall, sturdy walls of the city. Eldryn noted something too.
Never before had he seen so many women! There were of course, ladies and dancers and those of one profession or another, but many were for the tavern life. Silks and chiffon flowed around those women hinting at the answer to every young man’s desires. To Eldryn’s surprise Roland didn’t seem to notice.
“Roland, have you ever seen such beauties?” Eldryn asked.
“Yes, I was going to speak to you about that,” Roland said in an unusually responsible tone.
“About what?”
“Do you want me to keep your coin purse for you while we’re here?”
Eldryn began to speak but stopped. This appeared to be one of the very rare occasions that he was at a complete loss for words.
“These women could talk even the strongest of wills into wilting,” Roland continued in that same parent-to-child tone. “We have enough from our blessed travels to start a good life. I’d hate to see you squander yours.”
“’Squander’ mine?”
“Well, yes.”
“What has tilted the world off of the top of the hourglass so that Roland, son of Velryk, Delight of the Tavern Girl, has such sage advice? Did you join a monastery while I slept last night?”
“I love her,” Roland said. “I love her and will never love another.”
“Clairenese?”
“Of course, who else?”
“One meal together and you’re in love?”
“I didn’t understand love before that day, El’. Not the sort that a husband has for a wife. I love her.”
“You are the one that’s risking the squandering!”
“No. I love her, and she loves me,” Roland said simply.
“Roland, you must know…” Eldryn began in a shout. He caught himself and began again with more calm. “Roland, you must know what her father is, what she must be.”
