by Hylton, PT
Especially after he saw the village.
How could anyone meet the starving children in that village and not understand the evil Chief Magnus was bringing to Gren? Abbey couldn’t fathom it.
And yet, there was a tiny part of her that could. Chief Magnus was Gideon’s brother. Even if they didn’t get along, that meant something. Turning your back on family was difficult.
Hadn’t Syd given her brother the benefit of the doubt when she’d arrived in Baer Gigur? She’d assumed the best even before they had any reason to believe the Tall Grass Raiders weren’t evil.
Another thought struck Abbey. Once word got back to Chief Magnus that Syd and her crew were working with the Tall Grass Raiders rather than trying to bring them in, The Foggy Day would be destroyed. The seven-day deadline would be thrown out, and every person aboard that ship would be killed.
With the possible exception of Dahlia, which only made things worse.
If she wanted to save her father’s life and the lives of her crew, there was no option here. They had to find Gideon.
As they moved farther down the trail, Abbey began to doubt their chances of success. They could only see as far as their torches allowed, which wasn’t far, and they were blind to anything beyond the reach of their lights.
Still, they searched until they saw the sunlight peeking over the eastern hills. They were still searching when they heard a horse approaching from behind them.
They stepped off the trail. Abbey drew her sword in case it was Gideon.
The horse appeared a moment later, Elliot on its back.
“Any of the other groups have any luck?” Abbey asked him.
He just shook his head.
“Damn it,” Dustin said. “I know he’s been looking for you in this area for a long time, but it really didn’t seem like he knew his way around that well.”
“Could be he didn’t,” Abbey said. “He might be holed up under a bush or something waiting for the search to die down.”
“Possibly,” Elliot allowed. “And if he is, we’ll find him. We have people looking.”
Abbey stared up at him. “Elliot, I just want to say I’m sorry. We brought a Stone Shaper into your camp. It was idiotic. If we’d only—”
He held up a hand. “Stop. You brought my sister back to me. You don’t have to apologize for anything.”
“So what now?” Dustin asked.
Elliot sighed. “We keep searching. But I want you two to go back to Baer Gigur and get some rest. I need you fresh.”
“For what?” The last thing Abbey wanted to do was sleep while others tried to clean up her mess.
“Near as I can figure it, the smartest move would be for Gideon to head for the closest Stone Shaper city. That’s Nuur. If he’s on foot, that’ll take two days. Maybe longer.”
“Okay,” Dustin said. “I’m not seeing the plan here.”
“We were going to raid Nuur anyway, right? We just move up the timetable. We head that way this afternoon, and we search for him along the way. If we find him, great. If not, we assume Baer Gigur is exposed, and we never come back. We carry on with the raid.”
Abbey raised an eyebrow. “Is that such a good idea? I mean, is raiding for food really our top priority? We’ve got Gideon to worry about, not to mention finding your ekkja a new home and saving our friends on The Foggy Day. They’ll die if Gideon tells Magnus we joined up with you. Food isn’t worth that.”
Elliot smiled. “Oh, we’re not raiding for food. Nuur is a coastal city, remember? I’ve got a better idea.”
After a moment Abbey got it, and she let out a laugh. “I like where your head’s at. And I guarantee Dustin’s up for it.”
Abbey and Elliot both turned and looked at the Storm Caller.
Dustin looked back at them blankly. “Up for what?”
Chapter Thirteen
Benjamin stared into the darkness as he lay awake for the third straight night. He’d been trying to go to sleep for hours, to no avail. His responsibility for the men and women of The Foggy Day weighed on him, and with each day that passed the seven-day deadline drew nearer and the weight grew heavier.
He trusted Syd. He trusted Dustin. And most of all, he trusted Abbey. If anyone could complete their nearly impossible mission, it was those three.
Yet he was in charge of the ship, and he had to face reality. If they didn’t come back, it would be up to him to lead his crew in a defense of the ship—one they were certain to lose.
It didn’t help his efforts to sleep that the night crew were stomping around topside like they were trying to wake up their fellow stormship sailors.
He swung his feet off the cot and sat up. It was no use. He might as well go check in on the night crew. He put on his outer cloak and turned to go, but turned back at the last moment and grabbed his sword belt. As unnecessary as it seemed, they were in enemy territory. One couldn’t be too careful.
As he stepped onto the main deck, the cool night air hit him; suddenly even the smallest thread of fatigue was gone. He knew he’d get no sleep that night.
He looked at the city of Ammaas. A few windows showed light, but most were dark. The city was asleep. Turning in the other direction, he could just make out the twin stone pillars in the moonlight.
He made his way to the quarterdeck and was surprised to find it empty. Who was supposed to be stationed here? He racked his brain, but he couldn’t remember.
He started to take another step, then paused. Something lay in a pile on the deck in front of him. He bent down to take a closer look.
No. Not something. Someone.
He rolled the man over and the body thumped onto its back with no resistance, revealing a gaping hole in the man’s chest.
Davenport. That was the name of the man who’d been stationed on the quarterdeck. And now he was dead.
Benjamin ran to the rail and looked over. A dozen stone pillars stood just below deck height next to the ship. There was no one on them.
The boots he’d heard on the deck…
A shadow climbed through a hatch onto the main deck. Another quickly followed, then another.
Dahlia! They were there to rescue their damn Queen of Storms!
Benjamin drew his sword. “All hands on deck! We are under attack! Fight, sailors!”
The shadows on the main deck froze.
The blacksmith sprinted toward them, sword raised, yelling as he ran, “Fight for your captain! Fight for your Storm Caller! Fight for your ship!”
He reached the first marauder. The man was completely dressed in black, but he still wore that idiotic black sash over it. A Stone Shaper, as if it were any surprise.
The Stone Shaper raised his hand, revealing a stone that quickly morphed into a blade, but Benjamin was quicker. He had his sword in the man’s heart before the stone finished changing.
As his first opponent fell, Benjamin spun toward the next. He heard the clamor of running feet as those on night duty rushed to join the fight. Sounds of battle came from belowdecks as well.
“They’re Stone Shapers!” he yelled. “Watch the rocks!”
He raised his hand and threw a fireball at the man in front of him. The Stone Shaper screamed and reeled backward. Benjamin pushed him with magic, sending him over the side.
He’d reacted instinctively, and he cursed himself for the stupidity of using fire.
Wooden ship, he reminded himself. Pitch and tar.
Who was the Barskall Storm Caller on duty? It took him a moment recall the name. “Ludvik! Get your ass over here!”
He spun toward the next Stone Shaper, this one a woman. She was ready for him. He’d no sooner turned to face her than a stone spike brushed past his cheek.
He swung his sword at her, but she morphed the stone in her other hand into the rough approximation of a shield and deflected the blow. He stepped to his left to get around her shield, and plunged the sword into her neck.
“You called me, sir?”
It was Ludvik.
“
Yeah. We need to let them know their Queen of Storms isn’t the only game in town. We need fog, rain, lightning, whatever. Enough to show them we have power too.”
“Okay, sir. It’s just, as I’ve explained before, it takes time for a Barskall to develop weather patterns, and we work best at a distance. Also, we need to be submerged in water to stormcall, so—”
Benjamin grabbed him by the collar. “I don’t care if you have to jump over the side and doggy paddle. Call me a damn storm!”
“Yes, right away, sir.”
As Ludvik rushed off, Benjamin turned back to the fight.
A blond man stood staring at him with a slight smile on his face.
“Hello, Edvard.”
“Hello, Benjamin.” Edvard wasn’t dressed like his companions. He wore the black sash, but under it was a strange, smooth breastplate the color of dry earth. Benjamin had never seen its like.
The blacksmith raised his sword. “What happened to the seven-day deadline?”
“Oh, that deal was with Magnus. As far as I know, it still stands. You had no such arrangement with me and my friends.”
“Uh huh. And how’s the chief going to feel when he hears about your attack?”
Edvard shrugged. “He’ll understand. Especially when I bring him the Queen of Storms.”
“Seems like a gamble.” He nodded toward Edvard’s empty hands. “You’re not holding any stones.”
“I don’t need them. Give me your best shot, Holdgatesman.”
Now it was Benjamin’s turn to smile. “Actually, I’m from Arcadia.” He thrust his sword forward, aiming at Edvard’s neck. His blade stopped with a jarring clunk.
Edvard’s breastplate had shifted to protect his neck.
“Your breastplate is stone,” Benjamin said. “Isn’t that handy.”
“You have no idea.”
Suddenly the stone began to snake its way up the blade. Benjamin tried to pull the sword back, but the stone had it locked in its grip.
“The stones we carry are just for self-defense. When we go into a real battle, we mold a thin layer of stone to our torso. Serves both as armor and a weapon.”
Benjamin tugged at the sword, but he still couldn’t budge it. “Yeah? What about your buddies? Why aren’t they wearing it?”
“They don’t take you seriously as a threat. I do. Consider it a compliment.”
The stone was almost to the hilt of the sword now. Just before it reached his hands, Benjamin let go and stumbled backward.
Edvard grabbed the sword, and the stone shifted back to its original location. He gazed at the weapon for a moment, then tossed it over the side.
Benjamin snarled at his opponent. “I really liked that sword.”
“Well, at least you had it during your final battle.”
The stone on the breastplate quivered, the telltale sign it was about to morph into a new shape.
Swordless, Benjamin knew his best chance was to use his second favorite weapon. His eyes went black, and a fireball shot out of his hand.
Edvard screamed as the fire hit him in the face.
Benjamin let the fire burn for a moment. It was a risk, but if something caught on fire, he could dampen it with ice magic before it got out of control.
As Edvard began to fall, Benjamin reached out with magic and gave a mighty push. Edvard hit the rail, and something cracked loudly. Whether it was the rail itself or Edvard’s insides, Benjamin did not know. He pushed again, and Edvard went over the side.
If the fireball hadn’t killed him already, the stone breastplate would ensure he drowned.
Thunder rumbled overhead, and a moment later a light rain began to fall.
“It’s about time, Ludvik,” Benjamin muttered.
It took five more minutes to dispose of the rest of the Stone Shapers. In the end, they lost eight of their own people and took out all twelve enemies. For a ragtag crew of stormship sailors facing off against magic users, that wasn’t half bad.
The Stone Shapers had underestimated them, but Benjamin knew it wouldn’t happen again.
He heard splashing on the starboard side, and he ran to the rail to look over.
In the moonlight, he could just make out Ludvik dogpaddling below, a wide smile on his face. “How’d we do, sir?”
“Better than we had any right to,” Benjamin said, “but not as well as I intend to do next time. Next time we’ll be ready.”
* * *
Elliot’s plan was straightforward, aggressive, and ballsy as hell. That was why Abbey liked it.
They’d left Baer Gigur late morning. It had been a somber goodbye for the ekkja; they left knowing this could be the last time they saw their home.
Something struck Abbey as she watched them gather the things they considered essential and load them onto a handful of wagons. She saw Sigmund nearby, and she went to ask him about it.
“Hey, Sig. I haven’t noticed any kids in Baer Gigur.”
“Astute observation,” he answered drily.
“So why aren’t there? I mean, you put a group of men and women in a boring hideout in the woods, you’re bound to get some pregnancies eventually, right?”
He chuckled. “You’re more right than you know. When we made the decision to start raiding, we knew it would be dangerous. If we were caught, the Stone Shapers would probably find our homes and burn them to the ground. Those of us without children left our old village, which is hidden in the south, and we built Baer Gigur. The Tall Grass Raiders are the select few, the small segment of Ragnar’s Barskall who remain childless.”
They had searched for Gideon on the way to Nuur, but it proved fruitless. Honestly, their search had amounted to little more than looking among the undergrowth along the side of the road. Elliot had his mind set on the coming engagement.
They reached Nuur midafternoon. It was smaller than Ammaas, but it had a similar layout. Stone houses, each with its own style, lined the strangely winding streets. When they entered the town, they split up into groups of four or five so as not to attract attention.
The key players, Elliot, Abbey, Dustin, Hekla, and two other archers, stayed together. Syd had agreed to lead one of the other squads, as had Sigmund.
Abbey and her team hid in a dead-end alley at the end of a twisting road while Hekla scouted ahead. They didn’t speak as they waited, each deep in his or her own thoughts about the battle to come. Abbey and Elliot each carried rope, and it was difficult for Abbey not to fiddle with it while they waited.
They could hear the chatter of the people passing on the street outside the alley. Most complained about their duties or the dry weather, but one conversation in particular caught their ears.
“—first voyage south. Was it everything you’d hoped?” a male voice asked.
The other person was female and sounded a bit younger, around Abbey’s age. “It was that and more. I’ll be happy to sleep in my own bed tonight, but I’m sorrowful that the trip is over.”
“Tell me the gossip, then. Is the stormship still there?”
“It is. They’ve got it locked down in the harbor. I heard there was some trouble yesterday. Some Shapers paid them a late-night visit.”
“Serves the foreign bastards right.”
“Agreed, but apparently they fought the Shapers off. I wasn’t able to get all the details, but it sounded like…”
The voices trailed off as the couple walked out of earshot.
Abbey grimaced.
“At least they’re still alive,” Dustin whispered.
“Yes.” But how many of them?
Hekla crept back into the alley. “I found one. It’s perfect. Large enough for all of us. And there’s a building right across the street, and a small alley behind it.”
“Perfect,” Elliot said.
Hekla showed them to the alley behind the building, then went off to make sure the other squads were in position.
Abbey grabbed Elliot’s arm. “You ready?”
Elliot drew a deep breath before answeri
ng. “Honestly, I’ve never liked heights.”
“Eh, you’ll get over it. Dustin?”
The Storm Caller gripped his staff and closed his eyes. A moment later, wind hit them from below as if it were coming out of the ground.
Abbey channeled her magic, and suddenly she and Elliot shot upward, almost weightless. She felt Elliot gasp.
As they reached the top of the building she angled herself forward and increased their weight, and they stepped onto the roof.
Elliot’s face was as a pale as a cresting wave.
“You’re welcome for the ride.” Abbey winked. She set her rope on the roof. “I’ll be right back.” With that, she stepped off the roof and drifted to the ground below.
She made four more trips, first carrying each of the archers to the roof and finally Dustin himself.
When they were all in place, she stood on the edge and watched. Before long, Hekla ran into the alley and nodded at her.
“Hekla says everyone’s in position,” she told Elliot.
“Excellent.” It was clear from his voice he was still a little shaken from his flight.
Abbey raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to be able to accurately shoot an arrow?”
He swung the bow off his back and pulled an arrow from the quiver on his hip. “We’re about to find out.”
Abbey looked at the preliminary target, a Stone Shaper guard standing on the dock below. Two other Stone Shapers stood on the deck of the ultimate target: a large fishing vessel.
The other three archers readied their weapons. They were in charge of taking out the two Stone Shapers on the ship. As soon as the guards were down, it would be Abbey’s job to get Dustin to the ship as quickly as possible. He’d begin stormcalling while Elliot and the archers rappelled to the street and made their way to the ship.
The other groups were to run to the ship as soon as they saw the guards fall.
With any luck, the whole mission would be over in two minutes and they’d be sailing south to help free The Foggy Day.
Elliot took one last look around. “Everyone ready?”
The archers and Abbey confirmed they were.
