by Sam Ferguson
“I see,” the weathered seaman said in a gruff voice. “And what can I do fer ya, Mr. Silver?”
“I would very much like to travel to Bluewater, but I don’t have an official travel charter, nor the time to wait for one,” Talon explained.
Captain Dorder eyed the bag and pried the top open to look inside. “Well Mr. Silver, this here would be enough for me to rustle up a crew, but I don’t have a ship,” replied the captain. “Unless you happen to have another bag with which we can hire a ship with as well.”
“I had hoped you would already have your own,” Talon admitted.
“Times have changed,” Dorder replied. “I had to scuttle my last ship.”
Talon arched an eyebrow.
“Trouble with the weather,” Dorder lied. “You know how the seas can be sometimes. She was damaged beyond my means to repair her, so I scrapped her out.”
Talon smiled. “If I were to borrow a boat, and then if I were to promise that boat to you as a prize?” Talon inquired.
“Ah, then ye be talkin' about piracy. A man can die for such crimes,” Captain Dorder sneered and turned to face the bar.
Talon leaned in close enough to smell that the captain had not bathed for quite a while and whispered, “I suppose if it came down to that, the so-called weather could always get rough again and you just end up scuttling some other poor bugger’s boat.”
Dorder cocked an eyebrow and snorted. “I don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout.”
Talon whispered low, but sternly. “I need a crew, and I won’t take no for an answer. I understand you have been very adept at covering your own tracks when necessary. Let me worry about getting a boat, and then I will let you worry about hiding her.”
“You find a ship big enough for sixteen crewmen, with a hold for goods, and I would consider that worth the trouble. Anything smaller, and I will keep the silver and make like you and I never met. Agreed?” Talon grinned wickedly and put his hand out. Dorder half chuckled and took Talon’s hand in his and gave it a hearty shake. “Come back here and get me when ye have found yerself a ship, and I will have a crew waiting.”
“Then, I shall see you in exactly three hours, please be ready,” Talon stated. Then he turned and made for the door.
“I’ll be expectin' ya,” Dorder said.
*****
Talon took in a large breath of sea air as he strolled past the docks. There were numerous ships in port that night. Many were larger ships, but Talon needed a smaller, more agile ship. He needed a vessel that could take him to Bluewater quickly, and not be greatly missed. Talon did not want to have the Zinferth navy trail him. As adept a fighter as he was, he knew he would have a hard time defending himself at sea. As a swordsman he had no equal, but if he was left to the skills of a captain at sea, even a former naval commander such as Captain Dorder, it could prove to be his downfall. Still, he kept Captain Dorder’s wish list in mind as he scanned the possibilities.
As Talon neared the southernmost end of the docks he saw a beautiful merchant ship. It appeared to be eighty five feet in length, but not overly bulky. It had one center mast, along with a smaller fore mast. From Talon’s limited knowledge it looked slender enough to lend itself speed and maneuverability upon the waters. The trip to Bluewater would take approximately three days if the weather was nice, and this ship would easily make the voyage without drawing too much attention. Talon saw that it was equipped with two medium ballista launchers, one on each side of the ship near the bow. The two launchers could be turned to face directly perpendicular to the ship, or slightly forward. It would only require a small crew to run it efficiently, and he presumed there was enough storage to hold provisions for several months at a time.
“You will do just fine,” Talon whispered.
Talon viewed the dock around him. There were only two guards on watch. One of them sat at a small desk, reading a book by candle light near to a pile of wooden crates next to a warehouse. The other guard paced lazily back and forth closer to the ship that Talon had his eye on. The next nearest ship was docked over three hundred yards away, meaning that there were not likely to be any additional guards nearby. Talon reasoned that either this boat was docked so far away from all the others because the merchant was hiding something, or because the owner was sure nobody would mess with it. Either way, it had caught Talon’s eye. He knew what he wanted. Now it was time to get his crew.
As Talon entered the tavern where he had left the captain, he spied a group of sixteen people all seated in the rear of the building. A rough looking crowd they were. Most of them had large builds as well as various scars and markings, showing that they had more than a little experience with the darker affairs of life. Talon smiled, they were exactly his kind of people.
Captain Dorder sauntered up to Talon with a sneer on his face. “Did ye find yerself a ship?” the captain inquired.
“I have. The boat is a fine little beauty, about eighty-five feet in length. She won’t require a large crew, and is used as a merchant vessel, so the hold should be large enough for your requirements.”
“Fair enough,” Dorder replied. “Where is this little ship then?” Dorder smiled.
“She’s waiting for us at dock seventy one, on the last pier and hardly even within the sight of the nearest guard tower. Only two guards are on watch. I can handle them while your men rush to the ship and prepare for its immediate launch.”
“What of the ship’s current crew? No man would leave his ship unattended at the very end of the docks. Do ye wish my crew to risk their lives just to get onto the ship?”
“I didn’t see any activity on the ship. If anyone is there, it shouldn’t be more than one or two seamen.”
“No deal,” Dorder said. “We didn’t agree to this. You were supposed to get yer own ship.”
“I see. Your men are cowards,” Talon replied coldly.
“HEY!” one of the men roared from the back table. “I heard what ye just said ‘bout us!” A large, dark complexioned man rose to his feet and pulled a small battle-ax from his belt and advanced toward Talon. Captain Dorder made no move to stop the man. Instead he stepped aside and let the large man come closer.
“Mr. Silver,” Dorder said, addressing Talon, “this here is Bekil. He doesn’t take kindly to being called a coward. Ye may want to take back what ye said before he cleaves yer skull in two. I’ll hang onto the coin until ye find yerself a ship that is ready to occupy.”
Talon smiled in response, but he said nothing. Bekil inched closer, slightly raising his hand to threaten Talon. He stepped in, and Talon’s hand lashed out so quickly that it was hardly more than a blur of motion. Two seconds later Bekil was squirming on the floor of the tavern, his entrails hanging out from his stomach and a large gash across his arm. Talon nonchalantly wiped the blood from his blade onto Bekil's trousers.
“I am not afraid of this man, or any of you. I have been face to face with death on more occasions than you have had birthdays, Captain Dorder,” Talon explained calmly. The rest of the crew sat motionless, staring at their squirming comrade. “I have hired you all to do a job. If you don’t want to fulfill your end of the bargain then you can expect to end up like this man here. Do I make myself clear?”
Captain Dorder laughed heartily. “I like the way ye do yer business!” he said with a chuckle. “No man here is shirking his responsibility, it is just that I was afraid that ye would be sending them in to fight while ye sat on yer buttocks, but seeing how ye know yer way with a blade, I will assume that ye will be fighting alongside us. That is good enough fer me. Come, let’s go men.” The captain gave a wave to his crew, now one man shorter in numbers. They all rose without hesitation and started their way to the docks.
Captain Dorder tossed a pair of silver coins to the barkeep. “To pay fer the mess,” Dorder said.
The old, mustachioed man stood behind the bar, watching as the men walked right past where their associate had fallen, none of them even glancing as they walked out the door. The
barkeep threw his towel down on the bar in protest.
Talon wagged a finger at the barkeep. “I wager the coins are the best offer, unless you want to try convincing them to come back.”
“Rat spit,” the barkeep swore as he folded his arms across his chest.
Talon shrugged and led Captain Dorder to the door.
*****
As they approached the dock Talon pulled two knives from his belt. “The guards,” Talon said, pointing to the pair of guards standing near the end of the docks. One of them was drinking from a bottle while the other was hunched over a pipe, trying to light it. Captain Dorder watched as Talon snuck closer and then sent the two blades spinning through the air. Seconds later the guards’ lifeless bodies dropped to the wooden planking. The captain nodded his respect to Talon, and then he and his men snuck over to the shallow water to swim silently out to the ship while Talon walked alone on the dock up to the ship.
Talon was able to board the ship before any resistance was met. To his surprise, he saw an older gentleman standing very calmly near the center mast, with his back to Talon. The man slowly turned, chewing on a toothpick. He must have been in his early fifties, for his hair had turned a dark shade of gray and the corners of his eyes had developed lines from years of squinting in the sunlight. He wore a very nice looking uniform of black silk. A curved sword and a small dagger hung from the man’s belt. His boots were leather, made to afford the wearer maximum agility.
“I don’t suppose you are here to admire the view of the stars,” the man said smugly. The man was so composed that it almost unnerved Talon. The old man made no move for his sword. He smiled and leaned against the mast, eyeing Talon from head to toe. “Who would you be then, besides a thief and a murderer?” The man crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for Talon’s reply.
“Besides a thief and a murderer, I am no one.” Talon replied after he regained his normal, cold mentality. “I am taking this boat, and I will need to take your life as well.”
“Well now, ain’t that a pity,” the old man replied with a wink.
Talon drew his sword and quickly advanced upon the old man, but he got more than he bargained for. A powerful gust of wind assaulted Talon and drove him backwards, and then a large, unseen force knocked him to the ground. Talon grabbed his chest and his eyes went wide in amazement.
“What was that?” Talon asked himself. He rose again to his feet and looked at the old man, who still was leaning against the mast as calm as before.
“My name is Agorian,” the old man stated. “I am neither a thief, nor a murderer. In fact I don’t think much of that kind. I have spent my life in an honest trade and profession, and in my time I have seen many of your pathetic ilk.” Agorian then grew silent. He stood a little more erect and a large rushing of wind roared as it swirled around the ship. Yells and gasps accented the wind as Dorder and his whole crew were magically carried up from the waters and dropped onto the deck, schlepping water across the wood. Talon stood and stared in complete amazement.
“A wizard,” Talon said. “There hasn’t been a wizard in this realm for centuries. I thought your kind was destroyed.”
“Don’t look so surprised, there are still a few of us lingering around this cursed world,” Agorian announced. “Sure, I know you thought that all wizards and magicians were killed in the Mage Wars, half a millennium ago. You people never understood that magic is inherited, like blonde hair or blue eyes. Sometimes it can even skip a few generations and come back later as a surprise. Most people who realize that they have magic ability try to hide it, but that is part of the reason I have my ship far from the rest of the other ships. I don’t have to hide my abilities out here, for there is no one else to see.”
Talon sheathed his sword and studied the old man carefully. Surely there would have to be some sort of weakness he could exploit, but Talon had never fought a wizard before, he had no experience with this type of foe. It was obvious that the captain would be of little use, he and his men were just lying on the deck like fresh caught tuna, flopping about with gasping mouths and wide eyes. Then it came to him. Every man has a weakness, even a wizard, but with this man it would not be a blade point to bring him down. So Talon decided to use a different method.
“Well Agorian, I have never been bested in any battle. I am truly humbled by this experience. However, since I obviously cannot beat you, I would ask the honor of having you join us.”
“Why would I do that when I could easily send you and your friends to the depths of the ocean?” Agorian replied.
“I will offer you wealth,” Talon stated simply.
Agorian burst out into hysterical laughter. “You, offer me wealth?” Agorian grabbed his sides and doubled over with his laughter.
Talon seized upon the moment; whipped out his mini-crossbow and fired a bolt directly into the side of Agorian’s neck.
Only a gurgled squall was heard as Agorian grabbed his neck and hit the deck with his face. Agorian struggled to get to his knees, but he could not lift his face from the deck, he just squirmed sideways on the deck as blood spurted out from his wound. A rush of wind circled the deck, but obviously Agorian could not focus enough to make it effective. It barely rustled the men’s hair as Talon rushed Agorian with his sword in hand. A few moments later Agorian’s head rolled freely on the deck while his body twitched spasmodically. Talon cleaned his blade and looked at Dorder.
“Time to leave captain,” Talon announced.
The crew immediately rose up and prepared the ship for launch. A pair of burly, hairy-chested men grabbed Agorian’s body and dumped it into the water once they had made it to the deep sea. Then, they were all underway toward the city of Bluewater.
Talon leaned upon the railing and looked out across the dark ocean underneath the night sky. “Soon,” he said to himself. “Soon I will have it.”
“So, Mr. Silver, I found some things down in the hold that ye might want to be made aware of,” captain Dorder announced, disrupting Talon’s thoughts.
“What would that be?” Talon inquired.
“Well sir, there is a chest full of gold pieces, another three chests filled with silk fabric, and there are some boxes of spices. We were wondering how much of that we could have for ourselves?”
Talon smiled to himself as he realized that the only reason Dorder would even admit to finding something on the ship was because he feared Talon’s wrath. That thought pleased the assassin very much.
“Captain Dorder, how about you hand me back the bag of coins that I gave you earlier, and put some of the gold coins in it as well. You and your men can keep all of what is in the hold after you drop me off in Bluewater, fair enough?” Talon extended his hand. Talon did not care for loot found on a mere merchant’s ship. He had his eye on much greater riches, and much brighter glory than that.
“Aye! That’s fair enough fer me,” Dorder replied with a grin.
*****
“Sir?” the young lieutenant called out. The dark room made him feel more than a little vulnerable as he stepped inside to wake Kelden. The lieutenant could barely make out the outline of Kelden’s bed. The curtains were drawn over the window and there was little light from the hallway as the young officer made his way slowly inside the room.
“What do you want?” Kelden grumbled just before the lieutenant’s hand touched his shoulder.
“I am sorry sir, but you had better dress in your uniform. There has been a murder at the docks, and a ship has been stolen. The queen wishes for you to investigate at once.” The lieutenant extended his hand and gave Kelden a sealed parchment.
Kelden twisted and felt an agonizing pain rush through his body.
“Fool,” another man chided the lieutenant as he rushed in. “You should have waited for me.” The newcomer set a lantern on the bedside table next to Kelden and pushed Kelden flat against the bed. Kelden groaned, but did not resist. Then the man pulled up a leather bag and opened it, rummaging around inside. It was obvious that he was
one of the garrison’s physicians.
“I’m sorry, Karmt sent me to get Kelden right away,” the lieutenant replied sheepishly.
“Well, you can tell Karmt that this man is not going anywhere tonight,” the physician grumbled. He then turned to face Kelden. Kelden squinted against the lantern’s light and saw a gruff, stubbly face with dark brown eyes peering down at him. “You were found outside the city gate. The guards could see your hand was purple and they knew immediately that a rock-jumper had bitten you,” the physician told Kelden.
“A rock-jumper?” the lieutenant asked. “I thought those things lived farther north.”
“Mostly, yes,” the physician replied without taking his eyes off of Kelden. “But it isn’t unheard of for them to venture down here. I have treated several bites over the years.”
“Who found me?” Kelden asked.
“A farmer, I think. He apparently saw you in the ditch on his way to the city with a wagonload of milk and cheese. He hefted you into his wagon and brought you to the gates.”
“I will have to repay him for his kindness” Kelden said softly.
“When the guards saw you, they alerted me right away and I had them bring you here. I looked for Pendonov, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.”
Kelden looked up and finally recognized the young officer standing next to the physician. He was a member of the Merchant Guard, but not one of his men. His name was Cullen, a promising officer, and Pendonov’s cousin.
Kelden put a hand up to silence them both. “I am alright,” he said.
“That’s debatable,” the physician said as he reached for the bandage on Kelden’s forearm.
Kelden sat up, forcing through the pain and pushed the physician back. “I am fine, and you should work on your bedside manner.”
“Well, that’s gratitude for you,” the physician grumbled. “Patch a man up and he chews you out for it,” he complained. “No thanks or even a friendly smile. You warrior-types are all alike.”
