Deceptions (Ascendant Book 3)

by Craig Alanson

  Mwazo pointed to Alfonze with grim satisfaction. “Correct. Keeping secrecy about our mission is almost more important than the mission itself. The enemy must not know our plans.”

  “Er,” Paedris stared at his friend. “The mission itself is rather important.”

  “Yes, but, Paedris,” Mwazo gently chided the court wizard, “if this boat sinks with us aboard, or we die along the way, other wizards could attempt to fulfill our mission after us. But if the enemy learns of our plans, of the enemy’s vulnerability, they will be alerted and we can accomplish nothing.”

  “Oh,” Lord Salva’s cheeks reddened. “You make a very good point, as always. Lord Mwazo is right, Captain Reed.”

  “Very well,” the captain nodded unhappily. He and his crew were sailors, not spies. Their knowledge was of wind and sea, not intrigue. “You wish me to guess where you want us to take the ship; I believe it is fairly obvious. The two of you need to go somewhere across the sea, perhaps to obtain assistance from other wizards in those lands? To do that, you need to run through the pirate blockade. And the only reason to risk running the blockade is to gain swift passage to lands across the sea.”

  Paedris shared a happy look with Cecil. “It is that obvious?”

  “Yes,” Reed nodded. “I must tell you, rumors are already flying around the port that this ship intends to run through the line of pirate ships out there,” he gestured toward the open sea out the back windows of the ship. “Anyone in shore, with a glass or bare eyes, can see we are mending sails and scraping her bottom as best we can. Once we offload cargo to lighten ship, even a fool could tell what we have planned.”

  “Excellent. Captain Reed, please do whatever you can to feed that rumor. We do plan to run the blockade, as you say, but our destination is not across the sea. It is westward along this coast. Your mission will be to put us ashore in Acedor.”

  Both sailors gasped. “Acedor?” Alfonze asked, thunderstruck. “Are you completely mad?”

  “Forgive my first mate’s language, Your Lordships, but his sentiment is true,” Reed stated softly. “Going to Acedor, particularly by sea, is certain suicide. For yourselves, and for this ship and crew.”

  “Nonetheless, that is our destination,” Paedris declared. “We have a ship, Captain Reed, and if this crew cannot carry us to Acedor, then we will endeavor to find sailors willing to take the risk. We will not think less of you or any of your fine crew if you refuse this voyage, the risk is as extreme as you say. However, I believe that with careful planning, and,” he winked slowly, “some measure of assistance from magical elements, we can be successful. By ‘successful’, I include the safe return of your crew. If that can be accomplished, after Lord Mwazo and I are ashore.”

  Captain and first mate looked at each other, eyes wide open in disbelief and dismay. “I can say, Lord Salva,” Reed remarked dryly, “you certainly have everyone on shore, and my crew, fooled with your true intentions. If the enemy is similarly deceived, then,” he bit his lower lip, “it might, it just might be possible to do as you ask. The pirate blockade will not be expecting us to sail west from this harbor. Where,” he paused to clear the table and unroll a map, “do you wish to be put ashore?”

  Cecil and Paedris looked at each other in mild dismay. “We were hoping,” Paedris explained, “that you could suggest where best for us to go ashore.”

  “Me?” Reed’s eyebrows flew upward.

  “You are an experienced sea captain,” Cecil observed.

  “Experienced, aye,” Reed snorted, “and if you wish the wisdom of my experience, you will forget this entire foolhardy notion. However,” he took a deep breath, “as that is unlikely, can you give me a rough idea of what area of the coast you wish to land? Acedor,” he waved a hand over the map, “has a coastline stretching hundreds of miles, even before the peninsula turns to the north.”

  “We wish to go ashore in this general area,” Paedris tapped with a finger to indicate the spot on the map spread across the table.

  “Here?” Captain Reed asked in quiet disbelief, and made a show of putting his face close to the map to make absolutely certain he did not mistake where the wizards wished to be put ashore. “Your Lordships, that is the absolutely worst stretch of coast to go ashore. This entire area is sheer cliffs down to the water, with jagged rocks offshore. Would it not be better for us to put you ashore here,” he pointed to an area closer to the border of Tarador, “or even here, where the coast turns north? The currents there are unfavorable,” he frowned, “and the weather can be unpredictable, especially at this time of year.” The more he thought of attempting to sail north along the western coast of Acedor, the less he liked the idea. He had only ever been there once, when he served as a young lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and his ship had been battered by a powerful storm that swept in from the northwest overnight. He recalled vividly that terrifying night and the next day, as the storm had pushed his ship toward the coast of Acedor. To risk death at sea, or enslavement and eventual death in Acedor, was no choice at all. Reed’s ship had survived due to extraordinary efforts by captain and crew, and not a little bit of luck. Of the eleven Royal Navy ships caught in that storm, two had foundered and sunk, with another ship smashed to bits against the shore. Those few sailors who survived to stagger onto land likely wished they had died at sea with their fellows. No, Reed did not like the idea of sailing up Acedor’s wind-swept west coast, but the wizards had asked his opinion and he owed them honesty. “The west coast here has many rivers where we could send a boat in at night, set you ashore well inland. It would not be easy, we would have to evade patrols-”

  “No,” Paedris declared flatly. “We must be here,” he jabbed a finger on the map. “Our destination lies inland, and we must shorten our journey. To walk even a short distance inside Acedor is perilous.”

  “Very well,” Reed considered the map. He knew the wizards’ plan now; they were going to the capital of Acedor. They were going to challenge the demon at the heart of their ancient enemy. “The difficulty, then, is I know of only one place where it is practical to land a boat along this coastline, one place where there is a break in the cliffs.”

  “The great ancient harbor of Talannon, which the enemy now calls Tokmanto?” Paedris nodded knowingly. “That is what we expected, and feared. I hoped you would know of a better place, but we must go ashore, and if Tokmanto is the only place that is possible, then that is where we must go.”

  Reed liked the idea of taking his ship into Tokmanto even less than he wished to sail up Acedor’s west coast. “Lord Salva, surely you do realize this fine harbor is the main port for pirates of Acedor? There must be a dozen pirate ships based at Tokmanto.”

  “Two dozen,” Mwazo corrected the merchant captain. “Twenty eight, at last count. Although that information may be outdated. We can obtain an exact count when we are closer.”

  “Two dozen? Oh, well then, that is much better,” Reed exclaimed with a weary look to Alfonze, who nodded silently.

  “Captain,” Paedris understood the man’s skepticism, and he needed the experienced captain to devote his full attention to the problem at hand. “We appreciate the difficulties in going ashore there. Allow me to explain. To journey deep into the interior of Acedor, we must go ashore as close to the ancient capital city as possible. That leaves out any place east of the Garligan river. As you mentioned, West of the Garligan the coast is all high cliffs with large rocks offshore; no ship can get close to the shore, and boats would require a miracle not to be smashed to bits against the cliffs. The only break in the cliffs is at Tokmanto, cliffs at the head of the harbor there are lower, with many breaks for roads and trails we can use to gain access to the interior of Acedor. We simply do not have time to go ashore at a more distant point and walk the remainder of the way. I know it is difficult, however-”

  “No, Lord Salva,” Reed boldly interrupted the master wizard. “It is not difficult. It is impossible. I need to, Alfonze, hand me that cask of ship’s biscuit.”


  Alfonze lifted the cask of hard-baked biscuits, basic rations no sailor enjoyed but were used to stretch fresh food supplies during long voyages. Even when freshly baked, the biscuits were tough and impossible to chew unless dipped in tea, coffee or even water. That particular cask of biscuits had traveled from Tarador to the South Isles and back in the bottom of the Lady Hildegard’s hold and, now opened, was used by the crew only as bait for fishing over the side. Even the fish did not care for the biscuits, except for the occasional fat and juice weevil eating its way through a biscuit.

  Captain Reed lifted the lid off the cask, selected a handful of biscuits and tapped them on the rim of the cask to knock loose any weevils close to the surface of a biscuit. “Here,” he said, “I will use these biscuits to make a map of the cliffs.” He piled up biscuits on the table, making an approximation of the seacoast around Tokmanto harbor more accurate than he thought possible. “This is the harbor.”

  “Yes, I see that,” Paedris admitted, impressed. Reed had made the biscuit cliffs lower at the closed, northern end of the great arc of the harbor.

  “Good. Here,” he brushed a crawling weevil off the table and placed another row of biscuits, “is the offshore reef that protects the harbor from storm surges. That is why our ancestors favored Talannon as their main seaport. There are only two gaps in the reef, here,” he pointed to the center of the harbor’s mouth. “And here,” he made another gap in the biscuit reef close to the western shore. “The main channel is patrolled by at least two ships, or it was the last time I visited Tokmanto during my Royal Navy service. Two swift rowing ships, able to make way against wind or tide, guard the main channel. When pirate ships are not moving in or out, a heavy chain is stretched across the gap, from here, to here,” he indicated the two ends of the gap which formed the main channel. “Rumor has it the reef has been dying because the harbor water is filthy, and the channel was grown wider over the years, but it is still blocked by the chain.”

  Paedris scratched his beard and looked at Cecil. “What do you think, Lord Mwazo? Could we snap this chain?”

  “We?” Cecil asked, surprised. “There is no ‘we’ in that regard, Paedris, my powers lay in other directions.”

  “I suppose, if the chain were not too thick, and too deep under the water, I could break it,” Paedris mused. “But I would need to be close, and we would lose all surprise. The enemy would instantly know a powerful wizard was breaking into the harbor, and-”

  “Lord Salva,” Reed wished to avoid useless speculation. “I am sure your powers could sweep away any chain. It makes no difference; even if the chain were not there either because you broke it, or it was open to allow pirates ships access to the harbor, we cannot use the main channel. It has been well known since my days in the Royal Navy, the only way into that main channel is with a squadron of ships, with four ships engaging the guard ships to clear a path for the others. Even then, it is nearly impossible, that is why the Royal Navy never tried such an attack. When the tide is going in or out, there is a powerful current through the main channel,” Reed explained, realizing with a start that he was repeating the words spoken by the captain of the ship he had served aboard many years ago. “The prevailing wind there is onshore; that is fairly good for getting into the harbor on an incoming tide; if the tide is flowing out, no amount of wind can get a sailing ship in through that gap against the force of water. The problem is, if the tide is going in and with an onshore breeze, any attacking ships will be trapped in the harbor until the wind dies and the tide slackens. That is too long for our ships to be at the mercy of swift pirate ships rowed by slaves. No, the only way to attack that harbor through the main channel is at slack tide, quickly in and quickly out before the tide turns against you. You have to use sweeps,” he saw the wizards did not understand so he explained. “Sweeps are long oars used by large ships like the Hildegard. Depending on the wind, you row either on the way in or the way out, unfortunately it is most likely a ship would need to row on the way out, against the prevailing winds. This is all an academic exercise anyway,” he mused as he brushed another escaped weevil off the table. “That plan was designed to be used by a squadron of the Royal Navy, and even their commanders thought it suicidal. The enemy knows they are most vulnerable at slack tide, so they always have the chain stretched across the main channel then, and an extra guard ship on patrol, day or night. We have one ship. There is no way for us to deal with two or more guard ships. Ah,” he waved a hand in disgust. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if there was a way for this big ship to get into Tokmanto harbor, we could never hope to get her out.”

  “Captain,” Paedris stared at the map, looking up at Reed through his eyebrows. “As I now own this ship, her safe return is not a priority. She need only get us into the harbor.”

  “And my crew?” Reed clamped down a flare of anger.

  “I have an idea about that, which may also help provide cover for Lord Mwazo and I to go ashore unseen.” Paedris explained, then he and Reed argued back and forth until the captain nodded.

  “That might, just might work. I think this old girl,” he rapped knuckles on the great wooden beam stretching across the cabin above his head, “would like that.” As a sailor, Reed had come to think of his ship as a living thing. He knew that was not true, but it felt true, and he could not deny the ship was more than stout timbers and towering masts. “Very well, Lord Salva, we can refine your plan later. At the moment, we still are faced with the fact that there is no way for this ship to run the gauntlet into that harbor.”

  “I can see the problem,” Paedris expressed his dismay, not having expected the sailing part of his desperate mission to the greatest difficulty. “As we cannot use the main channel, what about the other gap in the reef, over here?” He tapped his finger at the biscuit reef, pulling his hand away as a weevil crawled out of a crushed biscuit that was part of the modelled ‘reef’.

  “No,” Reed squashed another crawling weevil with a thumb. He really needed to dump that barrel of old biscuits overboard, they were now half biscuit and half weevil. “This ship draws too much water. Even pirate ships cannot use that break in the reef except at high tide. Years ago, Acedor sank several ships in that gap to prevent our Royal Navy using it to gain access to the harbor. Perhaps there is a way into the harbor, but I do not know it.”

  “Captain,” Alfonze spoke for the first time. “How many times were you at Tokmanto in the Navy?”

  “Once,” Reed shrugged. “Twice, if you count one evening sailing west and the morning sailing back east, and praying the whole time the enemy ships would not come out of the harbor to challenge us. Why? You are familiar with this place?” He asked, surprised. He knew Alfonze had never served in the Taradoran Royal Navy nor any other naval force; the man had been aboard merchant ships since he was a boy as his father been a captain.

  “No. But Jofer knows it like the back of his hand. He served in the blockading squadron for over two years. He still speaks of it.” Complaining was a form of speech, Alfonze told himself, because complaining is about all Old Jofer ever did about anything. Whenever he spoke about his years with the Royal Navy squadron block assigned to blockading Tokmanto and bottling up the pirate ships in their harbor, Jofer complained. He complained about the boredom, the lack of fresh food, the infrequent messages from home, but mostly about the endless, relentless, suffocating boredom. Day after day of sailing back and forth, east then west across the harbor entrance, no matter what the weather. When the wind blew strongly toward the shore, the Royal Navy ships were pushed toward the deadly reef that protected the harbor. The usual response of sailing ships was to stand farther out from a lee shore, lest they run aground. But with swift pirate ships poised to exploit any opportunity to sneak out of the harbor, and those shallow-draft ships rowed by slaves and not caring about the direction of the wind, the blockading squadron had to risk hugging the reef. More than one Royal Navy ship had run aground and had its bottom torn out on the jagged reef, with crews of other ships
watching helplessly, and pirates sweeping in to kill or capture survivors. After that, when the Royal Navy pursued a pirate ship, they had to wonder if the slaves cruelly chained to the oars were former shipmates.

  “Jofer?” Reed thought he had not heard Alfonze correctly. Though Jofer had served aboard Reed’s ships for five years, the old man never been popular with his shipmates, not being known either as a skilled sailor or a hard worker. Jofer did the work he was ordered to do, no more, and without enthusiasm. When the Lady Hildegard reached her final port after Gertaborg and Captain Reed had paid off most of the crew as there appeared to be no prospects for cargo to carry, Jofer had remained aboard the ship the ship even though Reed had hinted he would not be sorry to see the man go. Reed had been planning not to sign Jofer for another voyage, and he wanted to avoid an awkward confrontation. Hearing that old Jofer might actually be useful, that Reed may need the lazy crewman, did not make the captain happy.

  “Who is Jofer?” Cecil asked.

  “One of my best crewmen,” Reed rolled his eyes in disgust.

  “Ah,” Paedris understood. “Yet, of all the people aboard, he has the most extensive knowledge of Tokmanto? Surely there must be someone else in the port you could consult?”

  Alfonze gritted his teeth. “Not likely. The Navy has mostly pulled back to harbors east of us, so few of their sailors are here now. And the Royal Navy has not blockaded Tokmanto in, what?” He looked to Reed.

  “Twenty years, maybe longer?” The captain guessed. “Even in my day, we dared not challenge the pirates in their lair. Alfonze, you may be right that Jofer is the only person who knows those waters, but I wish it were someone other than him.”

  “Can we trust this man?”

  Reed looked to Alfonze. Reed had known Jofer for more years, but there was always a distance between captain and crew. Because Alfonze lived below decks with the crew, he likely knew the man better. Alfonze hated being put on the spot. “Jofer does love good gossip, that’s for certain. Yet,” he stared at the skylight, where white clouds were highlighted in the sunlight. “If you ask whether I think he would betray us,” he shook his head, “no. Jofer can be lazy and tiresome, but he is unfailingly loyal to his shipmates.”