The Golden Anchor

by Cameron Stelzer

  ‘How the blazing britches did you do that?’ he marvelled. ‘Don’t tell me that compass is actually magic.’

  ‘Don’t be daft,’ Pete said, opening the red bag and tipping out its contents on the table.

  Horace grabbed the table leg and hauled himself to his feet.

  ‘Shiver me science experiments!’ he exclaimed, spotting a horseshoe magnet lying among the gold coins. ‘I thought that red bag looked familiar.’

  ‘It pays to keep a magnet close at hand for such occasions,’ Pete said smugly.

  ‘But how did you think up a stunt like that?’ Horace asked.

  Pete turned to Whisker for an answer. ‘Well?’

  Whisker pointed to the shelf. ‘I noticed the red bag lying on the Book of Knowledge and remembered what was hidden inside. Of course, I already knew the magnet had an effect on the compass – which coincidently did come from the Island of Destiny. The tricky bit was waiting until the Apple Pie drifted north on the anchor line so the compass would point to the gold sacks.’

  ‘Oh, so that’s why it took you an eternity to bring out that thing,’ Horace said. ‘I thought you were simply being dramatic.’

  ‘Let’s just hope it takes Sabre twice as long to discover the compass is a fake,’ Ruby said.

  ‘I doubt Sabre will get a chance to look into that bag for quite some time,’ the Captain said, glancing out the window. ‘The other pirates are already raising their anchors. Come on. We have a ship to sail.’

  Battle Lines

  As the motley crew of pirates hurriedly readied their vessels, the warships of the Aladryan navy continued their steady advance into the centre of the bay. Sails fully lowered, they rowed into the wind, their oars moving back and forth methodically like the legs of a centipede.

  The sky above the ships was a cloudless dome of blue and the late afternoon sun sparkled off the waves. To the east of the bay, the approaching storm revealed itself as a line of gathering clouds and bright flashes of lightning.

  On the deck of the Apple Pie, Whisker and Ruby prepared the sails while the Captain stood behind the wheel, waiting for the prearranged signal to advance. Below deck, Horace helped Fred transport a fresh batch of cannon pies from the galley to the gun deck. The chef had been busy over the past day and, with Emmie’s assistance, he had managed to bake a modest supply of Whisker’s three-finned pies in readiness for the pirates’ arrival. Now the cannon pies would serve a new purpose against the Blue Claw.

  Among the shouted instructions echoing around him, Whisker heard the unmistakeable sound of clinking bottles from somewhere below.

  ‘What in Ratbeard’s name is going on down there?’ the Captain shouted from the helm. ‘I hope no one’s raiding my celebratory stash of Apple Fizz.’

  ‘No, Captain,’ Pete replied, clomping onto the deck with Athena. ‘That stuff gives me the hiccups.’

  Whisker looked over to see the two rats carrying a wooden crate filled with small glass medicine bottles. Several bottles protruded from Pete’s vest pockets and Athena had a couple tucked under her belt.

  ‘It pays to be prepared,’ Pete announced, directing Athena towards the navigation room. ‘Who knows how much of this stuff Ruby will guzzle in the heat of battle?’

  ‘Me?’ Ruby exclaimed. ‘What about Horace? He’d drink half-a-dozen bottles if he stubbed his toe.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about Horace,’ Athena said. ‘He has an entire crate to himself.’

  TOOT! A loud whistle sounded from a nearby pirate ship.

  ‘That’s our cue,’ the Captain bellowed. ‘Look lively crew. Raise the sails and let’s get this girl underway.’

  Pete and Athena disappeared into the navigation room while Ruby and Whisker heaved on the halyards, hoisting the two yards to the tops of the masts. As the enormous clothing sails filled with air, they unfurled the underpants jib sail and the Apple Pie began trawling through the waves.

  The seemingly disorganised rabble of pirate ships quickly formed into two distinct battle lines. The Apple Pie took her spot between the Blood an’ Bones and the toads’ slime-covered schooner, the Leaping Lilly, and headed southeast. Much to the relief of Whisker, the Silver Sardine occupied a spot in the northern group of ships.

  In the distance, the advancing Claw-of-War ships reacted swiftly, altering their course as Whisker had predicted. They abandoned their eastbound charge towards the pirates, swinging their bows around to face north and south in an attempt to stop the pirates from escaping around the edges of their fleet. For their part, the pirates maintained their steady side-by-side formation, ensuring that not one ship broke away from the pack.

  Whisker looked up from a lanyard to see Horace scampering onto the deck.

  ‘You look ready for action, Horace,’ he said, spotting the two sauce shooters attached to the short rat’s belt.

  Horace gave one of the rubber bottles a gentle squeeze.

  ‘You never know when a bit of hot chilli sauce will come in handy,’ he chuckled.

  ‘Just be careful where you’re pointing those things,’ Ruby said, climbing down from the rigging. ‘I’m already one eye down.’

  ‘Relax, Ruby,’ Horace said, removing his paw from the bottle. ‘I’ll avoid shooting our resident cyclops and save the hot stuff for the bad guys.’

  ‘The bad guys,’ Whisker mused. ‘And who are they exactly?’

  ‘I guess today they’re the crabs,’ Horace answered. ‘Tomorrow they could be anyone – great white sharks, deranged squirrels, rabid hyenas … why do you ask?’

  ‘I was just thinking, that’s all,’ Whisker said.

  ‘And?’ Ruby encouraged, reading further into what he was saying.

  ‘Well, do you ever wonder if you’re on the wrong side?’ Whisker asked, gesturing to the line of warships off the bow of the ship. ‘I mean, to every set of eyes out there, we’re the bad guys.’

  ‘Don’t forget all the eyes behind us,’ Horace added, thrusting his hook over his shoulder. ‘Those pirates hate us nearly as much as the navy does.’

  ‘And isn’t that a comforting thought on the day of a battle?’ Ruby considered.

  ‘Hey, I was just being honest,’ Horace defended.

  Ruby shooed him away with a wave of her paw and returned Whisker’s question. ‘And do you think you’re on the wrong side, Whisker?’

  Whisker shrugged. ‘I honestly don’t know what to think. I mean, one day I’m a circus rat, minding my own business, the next I’m the most wanted criminal on the high seas, with a navy on my tail and a prison of pirates following my lead. I try to convince myself I’m one of the good guys, but the evidence tells a different story.’

  Ruby looked the young apprentice in the eye. ‘Maybe you’re looking at the wrong evidence, Whisker. Maybe you should be focusing on what’s in here,’ she pointed to her heart, ‘not what’s out there. Listen, there was a time I might have said yes, I’m one of the bad guys, but not now. Not when I’m standing next to you. In a sea of scoundrels, you fight for what’s right. And that makes me on the good side.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Whisker said, a little lost for words. ‘I’m glad to be on your side, too.’

  ‘Oh puh-lease!’ Horace chimed in. ‘Can you two get any more schmaltzy? You’re beginning to sound like Pete and Athena, and we all know how infuriating those two love birds can be.’

  There was an inaudible response from the navigation room.

  Ruby walked over and punched Horace in the shoulder. ‘In your own words, Horace, I was just being honest. Is that so much of a crime?’

  She stormed off towards the jib sail, leaving Horace and Whisker staring after her.

  ‘Err, sorry, Whisker,’ Horace apologised. ‘I guess I killed that moment for you.’

  ‘Ah, it’s alright,’ Whisker said with a shrug. ‘I’m usually the one to say something stupid.’

  ‘You? Don’t be ridiculous,’ Horace declared with a theatrical wave of his hook. ‘I’ve seen the way you and Ruby –’

  ‘Hoo
k Hand Horace!’ the Captain boomed from the helm, cutting him off midsentence. ‘This is hardly the time for dishing out relationship advice. You have exactly two seconds to get your gasbagging mouth down to the gun deck before I load you in a cannon and light the fuse myself.’

  ‘Sorry, sir,’ Horace squeaked. ‘I was just on my way, sir.’

  He gave the Captain a fumbled salute and disappeared below deck.

  ‘You there!’ the Captain snapped, turning his attention to Whisker.

  ‘Aye, Captain,’ Whisker called, straightening his back like a cadet on parade.

  ‘We’re almost into position,’ the Captain said. ‘The instant the Blood an’ Bones shows any sign of activity, start moving those braces. I want the mainsail and foresail swung into position for a north-east run before I’ve completed the turn.’

  ‘Right away, sir,’ Whisker confirmed, rushing over to the colossal T-Shirt mainsail.

  ‘And, Whisker,’ the Captain added, lowering his voice, ‘in response to your earlier conversation, we’re all proud to be on your side and fighting for what’s right.’

  ‘Yes, Captain. Thank you, Captain.’

  Clutching a lanyard and waiting for his next instruction, Whisker felt a newfound confidence running through his tail. He was wet from the enormous waves that crashed against the hull of the ship. He was cold from the icy gusts of wind that sliced through his thin tunic. He was tired, hungry, bruised and sore, and his ears rang with the distant cracks of thunder that heralded the coming of the storm. But he felt alive – truly alive with the knowledge that the further he sailed from the island of Freeforia, the safer the animals would be. And for him, that was what it meant to be a Pie Rat. He was a defender, a protector. The pies came as a bonus.

  He thought about the moments he had felt proudest to call himself a Pie Rat apprentice. They didn’t include winning the Trophy of Champions or solving Anso’s riddles to reach the Island of Destiny. They were the times his actions had made a difference – like leaping off the summit of Cloud Mountain into a swirling mass of clouds to rescue a cageful of animals. Conviction had driven him to take that plunge, and conviction was driving him now.

  The ant-sized warships he had first glimpsed on the horizon could no longer be dismissed as models on a map. They were real, and they were enormous. He could see their oars slicing steadily through the water as they pushed south, three ships deep, attempting to intercept the pirates. To the north, a similar scenario was playing out. The Silver Sardine and the ships behind her had drawn the remainder of the warships away from the Central Channel, leaving only a few thinly-spread vessels in defence.

  Let’s hope this wind holds out, Whisker thought, as Ruby wandered back to join him. He glanced to the east to see the enormous storm front hurtling overland towards the volcano. It thundered across the island like an avalanche, its swirling black clouds and savage flashes of lightning reminding him that nature itself was a force to be reckoned with.

  ‘Sails!’ the Captain shouted. ‘Now!’

  Whisker and Ruby leapt into action, untying the braces and swivelling the yard into position. They secured the mainsail and darted to the foresail. As they worked to harness the power of the strengthening wind, the Captain swung hard on the wheel, rotating the ship in a starboard direction until the metal spoon of the bowsprit pointed directly towards the Central Channel.

  Alongside the Apple Pie, the Blood an’ Bones had already changed direction and was taking the lead in the escape. To the stern of the Apple Pie, the toads of the Leaping Lilly and the other pirate crews were busy with their own rigging, working frantically to secure their position in the end-to-end line of ships.

  The Claw-of-War ships stopped dead in the water and, for a moment, it appeared as if they were simply going to drift. Then the ships closest to them began to turn, raising their sails to catch the crosswind.

  ‘They’re on to us!’ the Captain shouted. ‘Port side cannons at the ready. But hold your fire until we’re close to that gap. We don’t have enough ammunition for a drawn-out sea battle.’

  Whisker heard the covers to the gunports swing open, followed by the sound of cannons being rolled into position. The door to the navigation room burst open and Pete and Athena filed out.

  ‘You, apprentice! Lend me a paw with the training cannon,’ Pete directed as he reached a tarpaulin-covered lump in the centre of the deck.

  Leaping down from the rigging, Whisker helped Pete throw back the canvas to reveal a mobile cannon and a pile of finned pies. Working with the rocking of the ship, the two rats wheeled the heavy cannon towards the port side bulwark and roped it into position. Athena wasted no time in pouring a small amount of gunpowder into the barrel, before packing it down with a ramrod.

  ‘She’s a quick learner, my Athena,’ Pete said proudly, as Whisker helped him insert the first pie, ‘and deadly accurate, too.’

  ‘I’ll leave you both to it then,’ Whisker said, spotting Ruby gesturing to him from the starboard bulwark.

  He splashed across the deck, almost losing his footing when an enormous wave crashed against the hull. Brushing the soggy fringe out of his eyes, he reached the bulwark to find Ruby staring through her spyglass.

  ‘Take a look at this,’ she said, thrusting the golden object into his paws.

  Raising the spyglass to his eye, he looked to the north to see the second cluster of pirate ships sailing towards the channel. One ship had pulled clear of the other vessels and was veering north towards the warships.

  ‘It’s the Silver Sardine,’ Whisker gasped. ‘What on earth is she doing?’

  ‘Abandoning the rest of the fleet,’ Ruby muttered in disapproval. ‘She’s attempting to slip through the line while the warships are still turning. See the way the Claw-of-War ships are bunched together? The crabs risk destroying their own ships if more than the closest vessels return fire.’

  ‘Typical Sabre,’ Whisker said. ‘Have you noticed the direction he’s heading – due north? I’d bet a barrel of pie gravy he’s following the needle of that compass.’

  ‘Better that than chasing after us,’ Ruby pointed out as a series of bright orange flashes lit up the hull of the Silver Sardine. The cats’ flaming fur-balls blazed through the air like meteors, colliding with the masts of the closest Claw-of-War ship and igniting its partially unfurled sails.

  The crabs returned fire with a barrage of volcanic rocks, tearing through one of the cat’s sails and leaving a line of dents in the armoured hull of the Silver Sardine. One sail down, the Cat Fish cleared the northern line of warships and headed into open waters.

  Whisker lowered the spyglass, having seen enough.

  ‘Let’s just hope Sabre doesn’t change direction and head for Freeforia,’ he said frowning.

  ‘The lure of gold should be enough to keep him sailing,’ Ruby responded reassuringly. She looked up puzzled, her open palm extended in front of her. ‘Is that rain, already?’

  Whisker spun around to face the stern of the ship. Freeforia was now hidden from sight beneath a massive wall of rain. The clouds above the downpour had doubled in size and had darkened from grey to black. Great claps of thunder accompanied the flashes of lightning, heralding the arrival of the storm. The wind threw itself at Whisker in wild gusts and he was forced to grab hold of the rigging to stop himself from losing his balance. Large droplets splattered against his cheeks and left ripples in the puddles of sea water pooled across the deck.

  ‘I’d definitely call that rain,’ he said to Ruby. ‘And it’s coming in fast.’

  ‘But that’s not thunder,’ Ruby cried, as a loud explosion echoed from somewhere close beside them.

  They both turned to see a large chunk of rock splashing into the water off the port side of the Apple Pie.

  ‘Oh my precious paws!’ Pete exclaimed. ‘That was too close for comfort. Those incompetent Sea Dogs haven’t factored in the wind. Swing us starboard, Captain, before the gale blows us straight into that line of warships.’

  Ac
ting decisively, the Captain swung the wheel hard to the right and the sail handlers rushed to reposition the yards. As Whisker gripped the brace and begun swivelling the foresail yard into position, he glanced back to see the Leaping Lilly and the Nutcracker also changing direction. Beyond the chipmunks’ acorn-firing ship, the grey wall of rain smothered the rest of the pirates from sight.

  ‘Hold on!’ he shouted as the savage storm front thundered towards them. ‘Things are about to get wild!’

  Weathering the Storm

  In moments, the Apple Pie was hit by an onslaught of swirling wind and driving rain. Blinding flashes of lightning lit up the darkening sky, and thunder rumbled overhead with such intensity that it sounded like cannons were firing from the clouds. Foaming waves towered over the ship like snow-capped mountains, transforming into giant fists as they walloped the sides of the hull with devastating force. The world beyond the bulwark simply disappeared in the near-horizontal deluge of rain.

  Following her sudden change of direction, the Apple Pie was now running at right angles to the wind, and her hull was keeling further and further to her port side. The pile of cannon pies had already disappeared into the churning sea, along with the keg of gunpowder. Not wishing to follow the ammunition overboard, Pete and Athena had retreated to the navigation room, leaving the two sail handlers clinging to the rigging.

  ‘That wind will be the death of us,’ the Captain bellowed over the roar of the storm. ‘Pull those sails in before they tear clean off!’

  ‘We’re trying, Captain,’ Ruby shouted, struggling to make any headway while holding on for dear life. ‘But the old girl is almost at tipping point. You have to swing us downwind.’

  ‘And risk colliding with a Claw-of-War ship?’ the Captain called back.

  ‘It’s either that or capsizing,’ Ruby shouted as a bolt of lightning struck the mast of a ship behind them. ‘If the gun ports take in any more water we’ll keel over for sure.’