by Hylton, PT
Rhona glanced at her friend. “We did see that ship enter the cave.”
“Wait, what cave?” Dustin asked.
The others didn’t answer for a long moment.
Finally, Rhona spoke. “If you really are good guys, prove it. Maybe we can work together.”
Alastar’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I’m giving them the chance to prove themselves.” She met Abbey’s gaze. “There’s dark magic at work on this island. We need to get inland, but as you apparently learned, these woods are teeming with the disciples of a dark magician. The cave we saw has to be the entrance to some secret port, which means it’s probably heavily guarded. And that there’re ships in there.”
Abbey nodded slowly. “So we work together to fight our way into the cave. We get to steal a ship, you get access to this dark magician’s personal port.”
Rhona turned to her party. “Any complaints?”
Donnon was the first to shake his head. “If they can fight, that’s good enough for me.”
Hekla gave him a toothy smile. “Don’t worry, we can fight. Would you like a demonstration?”
"We believe you, and I'd rather see you kick some enemy arse." Alastar stifled a chuckle. “Let’s do this.”
Rhona nodded. “Good. Follow us to the cave.”
The walk took over an hour, and during that time they got to know their new allies a little. The more Abbey learned about them, the more it seemed that her dream had been accurate. Rhona really was another woman fighting for justice against long odds.
It turned out that Rhona and her friends were from the Lost Isles, but when evil had moved beyond the lands they called home, so had they.
After a while, Abbey sidled up beside Rhona. “So Alastar is your brother?”
Rhona raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but don’t get any ideas. He’s sort of taken.”
Abbey let out a laugh. “No, it’s not that. I was just… I don’t know. Thinking about siblings, I guess. Do you two get along?”
Now it was Rhona’s turn to laugh. “Not always, but we take care of each other. We protect each other. Always have. We grew up in…well, it’s a long story. Let’s just say we made it through together. What about you? Any brothers?”
“No.” The answer sprang to her lips automatically, before she even considered Simon. But she had promised herself she’d be honest with this woman. “Actually, I might. I sort of just found out about him. Like you said, long story.”
Rhona nodded, but to Abbey’s relief she didn’t ask for clarification. “A bit of advice: whoever this guy is, get to know him. Learn to trust him. Family’s important.”
Abbey’s face darkened. “I don’t think it’s going to be like that between us.”
“Why not? What’s he done that’s so bad it’s more important than family?”
“He burned my ship and captured my friends.”
Rhona was quiet a moment. “Ah. In that case, you have my full permission to kick his arse.”
“It’s high on my to-do list.” She paused for a moment. “Listen, this is going to sound cheesy as all hell, but in my dream someone told me you are fighting for justice. I just want to tell you that I know how it is. It can be lonely, even when you have all your friends around you. Sometimes it seems like they don’t understand; at least it does for me. I just want you to know that there are more of us out there. However it feels sometimes, you’re not alone.”
Rhona smiled slightly, an expression that would have been barely noticeable if Abbey hadn’t been watching her so closely. “You either, Abbey.” Her smile widened a little. “I’ve seen the way that Storm Caller looks at you. You’re definitely not alone when he’s around.”
Abbey felt her face redden. “He’s just a friend.” She cleared her throat and desperately tried to think of a way to change the subject. “Are we close?”
"Me and you? I mean, we just met, but you can tell me anything, and... Oh." She blushed. "You mean, distance-wise? It shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Good.” Abbey smiled. “I’m really looking forward to seeing those shadow powers in action.”
Chapter Eleven
The group crouched among the rocks, watching the waves lap the mouth of the cave.
Alastar turned to Dustin. “What do you say, Storm Caller? Can you get us in there?”
Dustin watched the waves in silence for close to a minute before answering. “I can get you in, but the moment the waves stop crashing they’ll know something strange is going on.”
Abbey nodded her agreement. The cave had clearly been put into use because it was mostly accessible by boat. Any person attempting to swim in there would risk being dashed against the rocks, but a skilled sailor could guide a ship through the passage.
What she wouldn’t give to have Gideon and his stoneshaping abilities here. With a cave like this, he could—
Donnon looked to the two children. “You two follow us, but not too close. We’ll keep you safe.”
The children nodded solemnly, but then the girl perked up. "We could burn them out! One good burst of flame and—"
"And the boat would be lost to the fire as well," Donnon pointed out, ruffling her hair.
Dustin drew a deep breath. “Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll send a massive wave in there to cause as much chaos as I can, then I’ll draw all the water out, or as much of it as I can. I won’t be able to hold it forever, so you’ll have to move fast.”
Rhona turned to Abbey. “Can he really do that?”
Abbey grinned. “Dustin’s cocky, but he can back it up. If he says he can do it, he can do it.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Dustin said. “I’ll have to wait out here and stormcall. Be ready when I let the water back in. You’ll have to bring the boat out here to pick me up, so don’t choose anything big. If three people can fit and it has a sail, I can get us home in it.”
“I like his confidence,” Alastar said. “Time to see if he can back it up.”
Dustin gave him a look, but rather than reply he plunged the tip of his staff into the sand and closed his eyes. It took only a moment before the sea responded.
As Rhona and her friends watched in rapt amazement, a huge wave swelled and rushed toward the mouth of the cave. It seemed to diminish as it reached the mouth, as if it were trying to squeeze through the thirty-by-thirty-foot opening.
A moment later, the water rushed out, leaving behind a greatly reduced body of water entering the cave.
“Go,” Dustin shouted, his voice strained.
Abbey drew her sword. “You heard the man.”
Together, the two groups dashed toward the mouth of the cave, leaving Dustin behind as he endeavored to hold back the water.
As they entered the cave Alastar drew his sword, and it began to glow. This wasn’t like when Olaf or her father set their blades on fire. This seemed to glow from within.
They splashed through the knee-deep water into the cave, all of them aware that if Dustin’s magic failed they’d be swallowed in a torrent of seawater. Thankfully, they didn’t have far to go. The ships were docked not more than thirty yards inside the cave.
Abbey’s eyes quickly settled on her target: a skiff on the west end, docked a bit away from the three larger ships. She pointed at the small vessel. “Hekla, there!”
The Barskall woman nodded fiercely and angled toward the dingy.
“Look!” someone on the docks called.
Abbey spun toward the sound. There had to be at least thirty warriors up there. Thankfully none of them were wearing those creepy hoods, but all of them carried swords.
They were almost at the docks now, and the men there were ready to meet them. Abbey held her own sword at the ready, prepared for combat.
But Rhona struck first. A shadow under the docks seemed to come to life, and it reached up and grabbed the man closest to the edge, hauling him over and down into the shallow water.
Abbey marveled at her new companion’s
power, and then she redoubled her speed. This woman from the Lost Isles might be another warrior for good, but there was no way Abbey was going to let her have all the fun.
Abbey leaped out of the water, reducing her weight to increase her jump distance, and landed on the docks. As her feet touched down, her sword began to move.
The next few minutes were a blur of combat and frantic action. As she fought, she saw Alastar’s glowing blade out of the corner of her eye. He and Donnon made short work of their opponents while Estair peppered them with arrows.
Hekla was keeping pace. She tackled the first guard she saw and took his sword. Then she went to work, clearing her foes off the docks with an enthusiasm that proved Barskall weren’t all about seiderdrek. With each blow, she let out an ecstatic shriek.
A glance at the other group showed them pushing back one side of the enemy forces. Soon they were shouting and charging after them down a dark tunnel that led away from the main cavern.
A second group of the enemy forces moved toward the boat, either trying to escape or seeing that it was Abbey’s target and wanting to defend it.
"Stop them!" Abbey shouted as she ran forward, striking them down left and right. Soon Hekla reached her side, and they were taking them down like gophers at archery practice.
And just like that, it was over. The people guarding this strange port had been defeated.
"Clear!" a voice shouted. They turned to see Alastar charging back, Rhona and the others just behind him.
The victors all stood panting for a moment, then the water came rushing back in with a whoosh.
Abbey looked at Hekla. “We need to go.”
The Barskall woman nodded and headed for the skiff without a word.
Abbey turned to Rhona, who stared back with a look of pride. Abbey felt like she should say something profound, something that would put a cap on this meeting between two of what the woman in the dream had called the “fighters for justice.” Instead she just said, “Thank you.”
"This whole Dark Society might impact your lands too," Rhona stated. “You sure you don’t want to stay and help us take them down? We could use a fighter like you.”
Abbey shook her head. “I think some of my friends might still be alive. If there’s even a chance of that, I need to do everything I can to save them.”
“I understand. I'm pretty sure we can take them down. I mean, there's been nothing we haven't been able to handle yet. Take care of yourself.”
“You too,” Abbey said with a grin. “Never alone.”
“Never alone,” Rhona echoed.
With that, Abbey got in the skiff and started rowing. She took one last look at the group from the Lost Isles as the boat went through the mouth of the cave.
As they passed into the sunlight they saw Dustin waiting for them, a big smile on his face.
“What took you so long?” he asked. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got a flying fire wizard to catch.”
“That we do,” Abbey agreed. She took one last look at the island. As much as she hated what had happened to bring her here, this island was the place that had proven her dreams were real, and for that she was grateful.
She raised the sail and nodded toward the bow. “All right, Storm Caller. Take us home."
* * *
They kept Fannar away from his crewmates for the next day and a half, locking him in a separate chamber belowdecks. He heard the low rumble of constant chatter through the bulkhead, but he couldn’t tell whether it was his friends or the crew of the ship that had captured them. He tried calling out to them a couple times, but no one ever answered.
On the afternoon of the second day, three men came and hauled him from the dark chamber. He blinked against the painfully bright sun as he set foot on the main deck.
One of the men opened the hatch that led down to where the crew of The Foggy Day were being held. “Elliot! Gideon!” He stopped and turned to Fannar. “Simon said you could have one more. Who do you want?”
Fannar thought quickly. He had forgotten that he might be able to pick another companion. Simon had said it couldn’t be the captain. It had to be someone who could fight, that was obvious. But there was another consideration, too. Who would be most likely to get the crew in trouble if he or she stayed? Or, put another way, who would be the person to remove from the group for the good of all of them?
“Olaf,” Fannar said.
“Olaf, too!” the man yelled through the hatch.
The three men climbed awkwardly up the ladder, their hands bound, and they had just as strong a reaction to the sunlight as Fannar’d had. From the looks on their faces, they were concerned they might be headed to their executions.
Their eyes widened when they saw Fannar.
He gave them a friendly nod and forced a confident smile. “Hello, boys. How’d you like to go on a little mission?”
“Shut up,” the man who’d brought them on deck shouted. He pointed to a ship’s boat hanging from the starboard side of the ship. “That’s your vessel. Get into it as quickly as possible.”
They did as they were told. Elliot and Gideon looked nervous, but Olaf seemed as overconfident as ever.
Once they were in the boat, Fannar said, “You forgot to untie us.” He raised his hands to show they were still bound.
The man on the deck tossed a large bundle wrapped in oilcloth into the boat. “Cut yourselves free.”
Elliot unrolled the cloth; it was filled with weapons. Fannar’s seax, three swords, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. “They know us so well.”
The man on the deck stepped out of sight, and someone else took his place. Simon.
“Gentlemen, I hope Fannar chose his crew wisely. He’ll explain the details of our arrangement. Just know that your friends are counting on you.”
He pointed straight east from the ship, and Fannar noticed for the first time just how close to shore they were. The landscape ahead was dominated by a craggy mountain.
“Head up that mountain and you’ll find your target.” Simon smiled. “Or more likely, he’ll find you. When you’ve finished the job, head back to the beach. I’ll have someone waiting to bring you to me. Best of luck.”
With that, he turned on his heel and marched out of sight.
They waited in silence as the boat was lowered the last few feet and splashed down into the water. Fannar snatched his seax and cut himself free. He did the same for his boatmates, then grabbed the oars and started rowing toward shore.
After a moment, Elliot cleared his throat. “Say, Fannar, I don’t mean to pry, but…what the hell is going on!? You agreed to do a job for that piece of shit?”
Fannar tried to remain unmoved by his friend’s anger. He’d had nearly two days to process this, unlike his friends. “We have to kill the Barskall warlord and bring his hand back to Simon. If we do that, he says he’ll let everyone go.”
“Hmm,” Gideon grunted. “And you believe him?”
Fannar considered how to explain this. “I spent time with him yesterday, and yeah, I sort of do believe him. He seems to view this whole thing as some kind of sick game. I think he’ll play by the rules he’s created.”
“And you decided this after one whole conversation with him?” Elliot asked.
Fannar didn’t answer, just put his back into rowing.
“Wait a minute!” Olaf exclaimed. “Maybe this isn’t all bad. We’ve been looking for the Barskall army, and now we know where they are. On that mountain. What if we ditch this mission and head back to Holdgate? Come back here with an army.”
“He’ll kill our friends,” Fannar said.
Olaf scoffed. “How’s he going to know where we went? He’ll have no idea if we got killed by the Barskall or went rogue.”
Elliot reached down and picked up a sword from the bundle. “As much as I hate to agree with Fannar on this, we do have another problem. We have no idea where we are. Holdgate could be north of here, but it could just as easily be south.”
Fannar grimac
ed. “That was why he kept us all locked up in the dark. So we couldn’t see which direction we were heading.”
“Maybe if Dustin or Syd were here they’d be able to tell where we are from the landscape,” Elliot said.
Gideon nodded. “But he sent a Barskall, a Stone Shaper, a man who’s been in Gren more than a decade, and Olaf. Smart move.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Olaf asked, his voice indignant.
As they approached the shore, Fannar looked at his companions. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I brought you all along because Simon told me I could, and it was a good chance to get you out of harm’s way. But the whole idea here is for me to infiltrate the Barskall camp and get close to Eril. I think you three should wait on the beach until I return.”
The other three looked at him in shocked silence a moment. Then Elliot smiled. “Okay, I think you know that’s not happening. We were having a nice relaxing time in that cargo hold until you pulled us out for this bullshit. If you’re going to kill a warlord, you’re not doing it without us.”
He reached into the bundle and grabbed a sword. “This one work for you, Olaf?”
The young sailor took it with a smile. “Want me to light it on fire? I could use the practice.”
“No!” the other three shouted.
“The last thing we need is you setting the boat on fire,” Gideon said. “No sword for me, Elliot. I’ll find a stone when we get ashore. That’ll be weapon enough for me.”
“Good.” Elliot chuckled. “That leaves two swords and a bow for me. Call me high maintenance—I don’t care.”
After he’d strapped all his weapons on, he turned to Fannar. “All right, Barskall. Apparently we’re in the warlord-assassination business now. I assume you have a plan? Put us ashore and point us toward him.”
Chapter Twelve
Abbey, Dustin, and Hekla had spent the first night after leaving the island shivering as they tried to sleep aboard the small skiff. They were making good progress on their voyage, but they were out of sight of land and Dustin needed rest. Even as strong as he was, he couldn’t stormcall non-stop.
