by Hylton, PT
“What the hell happened out there?” Dustin asked.
Abbey opened her mouth to answer, but Syd held up a hand.
“Not here,” the bald woman said. “In private.”
Dustin blinked hard. “We’re in the middle of a battle here. Should we really leave the deck?”
Abbey scowled at him. “Yes. You need to hear what we have to say.”
A few minutes later, the four of them stood in Roy’s quarters, the door shut firmly behind him.
Abbey looked back and forth between Dustin and the captain. It was as if she weren’t sure where to start.
“Just tell us,” Dustin said.
Abbey took a deep breath, then spat it out. “They’re all the traitors.”
Dustin didn’t even know how to process that statement. “Wait, who is?”
“All of them. Tor. His men. The other two ships. They’re all working with the Barskall.”
Dustin almost laughed. Surely this was a joke.
“It’s true,” Syd said. “We saw Holdgatesmen and women working with the Barskall on every street corner. They’re burning homes. Looting.”
Abbey nodded grimly. “We’re not here to save this city. We’re here to loot it.”
Dustin still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way this could be true. The other ships, maybe. But Thunderclap? No way. Tor and Dahlia had been protecting the Kaldfell Peninsula from the Barskall for years. Why would they suddenly begin working with the enemy?
He turned to Roy and saw that the captain looked as shocked as he felt. Though, his next words proved he was accepting it a bit more quickly.
“That dry-faced, lying bastard.” The anger in the captain’s voice was barely restrained. “That’s why he didn’t want us along on this voyage. That’s why he had us stay back while he and his friends went ashore. So they could raid the city without us knowing about it.”
“And that’s why Tor and his friends always work so hard to get the assignments fighting the Barskall,” Syd added.
Dustin shook his head. Was everyone but him going mad? “I still don’t understand. If Tor and his people are raiding cities with the Barskall, where’s all the loot? They bring back some Barskall spoils of war, but no more than you’d expect. Not a city’s worth of treasure.”
“A valid question.” Roy stroked his chin, thinking for a moment before he spoke again. “Just as importantly, who else knows about this? Is it just these three ships? Or are there others? Is the Magistrate in on it?”
Dustin could see from the look on Abbey’s face that she was growing impatient.
“These are all wonderful questions,” she said. “But I’d prefer to be alive to contemplate them. Tor’s men saw us. They know that we know what they’re up to. If we want to stay alive, we need to go. Now.”
A frantic knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The knocker didn’t even wait for a response before shouting through the door. “Captain, you need to see this.”
The four exchanged worried looks, then headed up to the deck.
A sudden wind tussled Dustin’s hair as he stepped out onto the deck. He looked out over the water, and what he saw made him gasp.
Thunderclap was passing through the fog and heading straight toward them. Dahlia stood at the bow of the ship, clutching her staff, her blond hair flying in the wind behind her.
Dustin looked around and noticed the ship was surrounded by a dense fog now. A fog he hadn’t called.
A series of lights flashed on the deck of Thunderclap. Dustin swallowed hard as he interpreted them. For the first time, he allowed himself to believe Abbey and Syd’s story.
“What are they saying?” Abbey asked.
It was the captain who answered. “Surrender. Surrender or be swallowed by the sea.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tor clasped his hands behind him as he gazed out at the little ship in front of them. It almost looked like a child’s toy sitting in the thick sea of fog Dahlia had conjured.
He shook his head sadly. “Well, this could not have gone any worse.”
Randall, his first mate, stood beside him, his leather armor still dotted with speckles of blood from the battle he’d just left behind. “It’s not your fault, captain. You did everything you could to keep them away.”
Tor nodded his agreement. He had done everything he could. First, he’d politely but firmly requested the Magistrate not send The Foggy Day along on this voyage. If that beardless old fool had listened, none of this would have happened. Unfortunately, the Magistrate liked to show his independence every once in a while. He always seemed to choose the most inopportune times to do so.
The Magistrate had ordered Tor to take The Foggy Day on this voyage, and now The Foggy Day would pay the price.
Still, it wasn’t as if Captain Roy and his crew were completely innocent. Tor had given them clear and direct orders: stay behind and maintain the fog cover. Even that simple task had proven too much for the incompetent Captain Roy. It was a shame, really. Their new Storm Caller seemed to have potential. He’d kept pace with Thunderclap all the way from Holdgate, and he’d called down an impressive fog to cover their attack. He’d also seemed sufficiently awed by Thunderclap’s reputation, which was always useful.
It was a shame that the Storm Caller’s life would now be forfeit. It was sad, but it was also the price of doing business. Sometimes these things happened. And it was possible that Tor might be able to swing this unfortunate event to his advantage.
He turned to Randall. “You’re sure of who you saw?”
Randall nodded. “Two swords. Bald head. Who else would it be?”
Ah, yes. The Foggy Day’s first mate. Tor had almost forgotten about her. She was the one person aboard The Foggy Day that even his most hardened men respected. “Not her, you idiot. The other one.”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m sure it was the Arcadian. I’ve been in her father’s shop a hundred times picking up equipment and what not. She was always a pleasant sight on those trips.”
Tor smiled. Thunderclap still had the luck of the sea. What other ship could possibly stumble across a wanted fugitive while raiding a distant city? This would give him a convenient excuse for what he was about to do to The Foggy Day. They were harboring a fugitive. Perhaps they were all in on the murder of the Magistrate’s son. Perhaps they were even—seas forbid!—working with the Barskall.
At least, that’s how he’d sell it to the Magistrate.
Despite the strange and troublesome events of the night, it relaxed him to know he was going to come out of this unscathed. Better than unscathed, in fact. His reputation would likely be improved.
He headed toward the bow of the ship and approached Dahlia. Startling her while she was Storm Calling was never a good idea, so he gently cleared his throat before placing a hand on her back.
She kept her blue-green glowing eyes on the sea. “Still no surrender. Does it worry you?”
Tor shrugged. “Why should it? I wouldn’t give up my ship easily. Why should he?”
Dahlia chuckled. “He’s hardly the man you are, my love.”
“Even still, they have a lot to work through. Giving up one’s ship is not an easy decision. They are probably still trying to figure out whether they can trust the report their first mate and onboard fugitive brought back.”
“Exactly,” Dahlia said, her eyes alive with light. “Their confusion is our ally. Every moment we give them is another moment they have to plan, to plot, to get their heads about them. I, for one, do not want to let that happen.”
“And what would you suggest? Call down lightning to burn up their tiny ship?”
Dahlia smiled. “I’ve heard worse ideas.”
Tor sighed. He didn’t blame her for being on edge. Bode was the largest city they’d raided, and the first one where they’d teamed with both the Barskall and two other ships. Tensions were high all around. Still, it was just the first step on a much larger journey.
He cared deepl
y about Dahlia. She was the best Storm Caller in the world, and she was the best woman who’d ever shared his bed. Yet, she didn’t have his ability to take things in stride. This plan would take a long time to complete, and there were bound to be many more setbacks along the way. He hoped she could deal with them without wanting to burn down the world every time something didn’t go exactly her way.
“Captain! Look.”
Tor looked back and saw Randall pointing toward The Foggy Day. A light flashed on its deck.
The message they were sending made Tor smile.
We surrender. Awaiting your instructions.
He reached up and gently rubbed Dahlia’s back. “See, my dear? Nothing to worry about?” He turned toward Randall. “Signal back to them that we’re preparing to board their ship.”
“Aye, captain!”
A feeling of calm settled over Tor as he looked at the ship they’d just taken without firing a single arrow or calling a single lightning bolt. Perhaps tonight wasn’t such a loss. The city of Bode had fallen as easily as The Foggy Day after all. It was the first of many.
With the Barskall and the three best ships in the Holdgate fleet on his side, Tor would turn the Storm Raiders into more than just a legend. He’d make them rulers.
* * *
Abbey was sure of only two things: she didn’t like this plan, and it was the best one they had.
They’d spent the twenty minutes since Thunderclap appeared out of the fog trying to figure out something. Anything. And this was all they’d come up with.
She turned to Captain Roy. “You’re sure about this?”
“We’ve been over it a dozen times, and I can’t see any other way.” Roy’s eyes were fixed on Thunderclap.
Tor and Dahlia both stood at the bow now, looking like the king and queen of the ocean, both of them a strange mix of attractive and menacing. A shudder ran through Abbey’s body. It was no wonder these two were so respected and feared. Yet, anger rose up inside Abbey, too. These two had taken the respect, the power the city of Holdgate had put into their hands, and were using it to bring pain and suffering to people throughout Irth. The thought of it made Abbey want to reach for the sword on her belt.
She turned to Dustin, who looked far less confident than Captain Roy. She felt for the guy. Here he was, on his first voyage as a Storm Caller, and he’d just found out his hero was an asshole. Worse, he was about to face off against that hero.
Dustin turned to the captain. “I’m still not so sure about this. If Dahlia sees us—”
“She won’t,” Roy interrupted. “That’s the whole point. While they are busy taking control of the ship, the two of you will be floating off into the fog.”
Abbey elbowed Dustin. “Besides, you telling me you can’t call down enough wind to move a tiny boat out of sight before she sees us?”
Dustin glanced warily at Thunderclap, which was now pulling alongside The Foggy Day. “It’s not the speed I’m worried about. If she even sees us, she’ll call down a lightning bolt and fry us before we have time even to figure out what’s happening.”
“Then we’d best get moving.” Abbey started toward the dinghy hanging from the starboard side of the ship.
Still, Dustin hesitated.
Captain Roy sauntered over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Look, son, we have valuable information that could save a lot of lives. The thing that matters is that someone makes it out with that information. You and Abbey are our best shots. The two of you can slip away on that boat and hide in the fog. By the time they realize you’re gone, you’ll be so far out of sight, they won’t know which way to chase you. Abbey’s proven she can handle herself, and she has every right to clear her father’s name. Besides, whatever Tor’s done, I believe he’ll treat his fellow stormship sailors fairly. I’m not confident he’d be as civilized with an Arcadian fugitive.”
Dustin paused for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. I hate it, but I know you’re right. Abbey and I are the only chance of bringing the truth back to Holdgate. It’ll just be a matter of getting there.” With that, he strode toward the dinghy, his staff clicking on the deck as he walked across the boards.
Now, it was Abbey’s turn to pause. She knew this had to be done, and she actually believed they could do it. But neither of them had ever been in this part of the sea before. Dustin had spent years cruising the relatively safe southern trade routes, but this was a whole different animal. Not only would they have to watch out for Tor, who would surely be pursuing them, but they’d have to look out for the Barskall. And if they bumped into any other Holdgate ships, they wouldn’t know whether to trust them or not. For all they knew, every ship working this far north was in on Tor’s plan.
Storm Raiders. Just like in the ridiculous stories her father had heard in Arcadia. But was Tor bringing those stories to life or was he the source of them? Either way, it made Abbey furious. There was a certain mad brilliance to it, she had to admit. If people feared you anyway, why not use that fear against them? It made sense, at least if you were a total douchebag who only cared about turning a profit and didn’t care how many people got hurt in the process.
And one of those people was her father. Tor was working with the Barskall, which meant he undoubtedly had something to do with the murder of the Magistrate’s son. Had Tor personally been the one who’d decided to frame her father? Abbey didn’t know, but she intended to find out. No matter how many enemies stood in her way.
A shadow fell across Abbey, and she turned to see Syd standing over her. The woman stood a good four inches taller than Abbey. The first mate’s face was a mask of determination. “Captain, I don’t think they should go alone. Storm Caller or not, Dustin’s never been in these waters. And if they’re forced onto the land, they’ll be even more lost.”
Roy raised an eyebrow. “You have a suggestion as to who we should send with them?”
Syd’s lips curled up in a thin smile. “We should send our best. In other words, we should send me.”
Abbey paused, frozen with surprise. She’s seen what Syd could do during the fighting in Bode, and she had to admit she liked the idea of having the woman along. “You’d do that? You’d come with us?”
Syd nodded curtly. “Tor and I… haven’t always seen eye to eye. If you’re going to take him down, I’d like to help in any way I can.”
Even Dustin was smiling now. “I must admit, I like the idea of having an extra sword on our side.” He gestured awkwardly toward Syd’s back. “Or, you know, two swords.”
Captain Roy scratched at his chin. “Very well. It’s settled then.”
Abbey caught a series of light flashes coming from the deck of Thunderclap.
Roy shook his head angrily. “They’re ready to come aboard. You lot best shove off, and I mean now.”
The captain gave the signal, and a few of the crew members moved to the port side of the ship. Ropes were being tossed over from Thunderclap. They would be boarded any minute now.
Abbey, Dustin, and Syd scurried into the dinghy, and the crew lowered it quickly, dropping it the last five feet, so it landed in the water with a splash. Dustin stood up and planted his staff in the bow of the ship. His eyes went blue-green, and a sudden wind pressed against their backs.
By the time the crew of Thunderclap boarded The Foggy Day, the tiny dinghy had disappeared into the fog.
Chapter Seventeen
Abbey tried not to shiver as the dinghy moved through the darkness. They were out of the fog now, and the night sky was illuminated by countless stars. Abbey stared up at them, taking in their beauty and wondering what mysteries those tiny specks of light held.
As a child, she’d often wondered if there might be people living up there in the vast sky beyond Irth, living their own stories and having their own adventures. Of course, her father had set her straight and told her the idea of people living in the sky was nothing more than a child’s fantasy.
Dustin stood in the bow, as still as a statue. He’d been like that for ho
urs now, ever since they’d left The Foggy Day, his eyes glowing and his face a mask of determination. Abbey wondered how long he’d be able to keep it up. Certainly, not long enough for them to get back to Holdgate. He’d have to rest sometime.
Like all Holdgate vessels, the dinghy had a small iron cup filled with seawater built into the fore section so it could be used by a Storm Caller.
They were moving through the water at a good clip, and seawater sprayed up in a fine mist, further adding to the chill in the air.
Syd shifted in her seat for the hundredth time in the last hour. The woman hadn’t said much so far on this journey, but she was clearly nervous. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, staring into the darkness behind them for pursuers.
Abbey saw a shape in the darkness up ahead, illuminated by the full moon. At first, she thought maybe it was her imagination, but as they got closer, she became sure of its reality. She nudged Syd and pointed toward it. “What the hell is that?”
Syd spun her head toward the shape, her eyes alive with concern, but once she saw what Abbey was pointing at, she relaxed. “Ah, that’s a relic from the time before the Mad Days.”
Abbey looked at the metal shape sticking out of the water. The thing was massive.
“The stories say it was called an olerig,” Syd continued. “There are many of them scattered throughout the sea. Captain Roy always has us observe a moment of silence as we pass them, in memory of whoever came before and built such monstrosities.”
Abbey stayed silent as they passed. This sea could drown her with a single massive wave, so she damn well better pay attention to its traditions. Once they were safely clear of the relic, she tried the new word. “Olerig. What could have been the purpose of such a thing?”
“They say it was used to pull power from the depths of the sea.”
