by Brian Keller
*****
The sudden flurry of movement caught everyone’s attention. Loryn and Balat turned as they each raised their bows, arrows nocked, and drew the slack from their bowstrings. Kinsman’s blades had cleared their sheaths and he’d taken two steps before Spen blocked their view with hands raised. He pressed his palms downward a few times to signal them to calm down and lower their weapons. He quietly spoke the words, “House kid. Waterfront.” and pointed in the general direction of one of the Houses. Several questions entered Kinsman’s mind but he dispersed them with a quick shake of his head. There were too many other immediate concerns that demanded his attention. He turned back to face the warehouse. He clenched his jaw and thought grimly, “We do this quick and clean, then we can move on to the ships”. That’s when the plans they’d made would be sorely tested. He thought, “The fighting will be chaotic enough, with Guild and Wharfsiders battling side by side, but the weather could make it even more difficult to identify who is friend and who is foe.”
The third warehouse went much like the second, except not quite as ‘clean’. One of the men managed to call out and alert the two remaining men. The man that yelled was left to die from several deep, well-placed cuts while the remaining two received a multitude of cuts on their hands and arms as they ineffectually attempted to ward off the incoming blades. One of them was spared much faster than the other. Loryn had a clear shot at the man, and took it. The other probably thought he was fighting valiantly as Rukle toyed with him. Kinsman finally ordered, “Finish him already. You’re wasting time.”
As they trudged eastward through the mud, all the ‘kids’ from the Guild wondered how many of their friends they’d find in the Prison, and worried about how many might have already died there.
Kinsman stopped them before they reached the boardwalk and gathered them in. He raised his voice to be heard over the weather, “Once we’re on the piers, there’ll be no stopping. We kill everyone aboard the three ships and get them loose from their moorings as quickly as we’re able. Mardon and Rigel’s men will decide which ships are kept and which gets sacrificed; and they’ll handle the navigation. Just make sure you’re on the right boats before we’re under sail. Clear the bodies from the decks on the way to the island. That should be the last of our Apex and Lukasi problem. After that, we just need to get into the prison and out with our people. The warehouses were the easy part.” Rukle grinned, “Was all that supposed to make us feel motivated?” Kinsman grinned in return as he blinked against the rain. He replied, “No. That was just to make sure everyone is focused on the tasks ahead.” He turned and began running at an easy pace toward the nearest ship.
Chapter 26
The storm had driven most of the crew members below deck and by now the darkness and the incoming rain had reduced visibility to only a few feet. Rare gusts would sometimes allow visibility beyond twenty feet, but that was rare. This would make getting aboard the ships easier but with most of the crew below deck, it would restrict the space to fight and the close quarters would make it nearly impossible to prevent alerting the entire crew once the fighting began. Still, the shorter Guild blades would be much more effective in the confined space than the sabers commonly used by the sailors.
They boarded the closest ship first. A single man was on guard. He was hunkered under the fore “castle” with the brim of his hat pulled low. It was one of the only spots above deck that provided any shelter. The helm took the full blast of the wind and rain. Kinsman wondered how much of that wind-driven water was finding its way below.
The crewman alerted to their presence and Kinsman raised an open palm in greeting, “Permission to come aboard!”, he shouted. The crew man shouted a reply, “Ye've got no bisness-” Suddenly his neck sprouted a feathered arrow shaft and the small group split into four smaller groups to watch the doors to the fore and aft and the cargo hatch. Kinsman stepped to the starboard rail and leaned over it, looking for Wharfsider boats in the water below. It took a few nervous moments to get their attention and tensions rose still higher as they pulled alongside and tossed ropes over the ship's rail to tie off the boats and then raise them up after the ship had been taken. Rukle, Gaff and Loryn each made two trips to the rail to check on their progress.
The wharfsiders quickly spread out along the starboard side and looked to Kinsman for instructions. He called out, “This time of night, in this weather, where will they be? Galley? Or bunks?” Several of the men exchanged glances. The reply was a series of noncommittal mumbling and shrugs. Almost all the wharfsiders were armed with curved swords but a few were carrying harpoons. Kinsman pointed to each of them and waved them closer, then ordered, “Follow behind our people and keep them from getting rushed or pushed aside.” He then called out to the rest of them, “We're going below. Secure the doors and hatches behind us.” He then waved at Rukle, Balat and two of the men from the Quarry. Loryn, Spen, Gaff and Naro moved to the doorway where the guard had positioned himself. Kinsman paused before the aft door and looked at the two men, “We're fighting side-by-side. I should know what to call you both.” Both men had light brown hair, one was thin-faced and wiry and the other was broad-shouldered but lean. The wiry one placed a hand on his chest, “Cam”. The other mimicked the motion, and announced, “Lebin. Well... Leb.” Kinsman acknowledged each man and turned back to the door. Without looking to check on the others, he pulled the door open and rushed inside, drawing his blades as he did. The door opened to reveal something that looked like a cross between a ladder and actual stairs. Kinsman avoided the well-intended obstacle entirely and dropped to the floor. The room he'd dropped into was the galley. It looked like most of the crew had gathered around a central table. Five men had cards in their hands and two were at the far end painstakingly counting the spots on a pair of dice. No one had considered that they might have guests.
The element of surprise would only last so long, and then they'd be severely outnumbered. With all the storm-tossed air and water everywhere there was no shortage of energy to tap into. Kinsman Channeled that energy, turned left and surged forward. He sped along the near side of the table, plunging and slashing his blades into any vital points that were exposed. Two or three strikes and then on to the next man. Balat was the next one into the room. Kinsman had moved from his second victim before Balat had rounded the table to engage the first man there. Rukle started to follow Kinsman then realized that another table was in the shadows to the other side of the 'ladder'. There were two men seated there and their sobriety was severely in question. He turned right. Once Cam and Lebin were in the room, they turned left and busied themselves with confirming the bleeding men were dead and finishing those that they couldn't be certain about. Kinsman met Balat on the far side of the table. Less than a minute after entering the galley, nine Lukasi agents lay dead or dying. Sounds of fighting could be heard from the fore. The three from the Guild responded immediately, tapping their Talent to cover the distance and enter the fray. By the time they crossed the ship the sounds had ceased and Spen was in the center of the room using the scrap of a fallen man's tunic to wipe the blood from his blades before sheathing them. He raised an eyebrow as Kinsman entered, “You might have let us know you intended to rush right into the fight... rather than using some kind of signal.” Kinsman's blank expression caused Spen to clarify, a note of irritation in his voice, “to coordinate the attack.” Kinsman tucked his chin, “You're right.” He glanced around, “Is that everyone? How many here?” Naro stepped out, “Five on this end.” Kinsman nodded, “Alright. Tell the wharfsiders that there are fourteen dead. Any Lukais crew still hiding is their responsibility. We need to get to the next ship.” As Kinsman climbed the stairs, Loryn asked Balat, “Fourteen?! That means there was nine in the galley?” Any reply was masked by the weather outside as Kinsman opened the door.
The second ship proved to be far less challenge. A single guard above and only two men awake below. The others were either asleep or some level of intoxicated slumber. They died quietl
y. On their way to the third vessel, the guard had stepped to the port side rail to look at the pier and noted their approach. The gusting wind prevented Naro's arrow from finding its target but was near enough to make its intentions unmistakable. Despite the speed of the Guild members' pursuit, the crew was alerted before they could fully occupied the deck.
Kinsman was the first aboard and had a quick decision to make. Fighting on the deck would allow the archers to be more effective. But allowing the time for the ship's crew to emerge would also grant them more time to better prepare and arm themselves. Kinsman rushed the aft doorway, waving Spen and Loryn to the fore. He shouted, “Rukle! Wave to those in the boats. Get them up here, then open the cargo hatch and help from there.” He pulled the aft door open without waiting for any acknowledgment and met the first of the Lukasi crew. Each of them was equally surprised to see the other, but each recovered immediately. The crew member's longer blade prevented Kinsman from advancing down the ladder and the man used this to his advantage as he attempted to defend the doorway. Kinsman dropped the blade from his right hand and flung the chain knife with as much underhand force as he could muster. The blade made a gash in the man's left forearm as it passed and lodged itself in the man's upper chest. The man swept the blade of his cutlass across the chain in an effort to dislodge the weapon. His pained expression made it obvious that the attempt was as painful as it was ineffectual. He reached up with his left hand to grasp the chain as Kinsman took a step backward and pulled. The edged points at the side of the knife bit deeply and tore flesh as the knife was pulled free. The man screamed and stepped to climb the ladder as he tried to make the chain go slack. Kinsman firmly set his foot on the wet boards of the deck and gave the chain a hard yank, freeing the knife. This was followed by a scream from below. Kinsman stepped back to coil the chain. Naro moved forward to the aft door and paused. He called back, “Can we just scuttle this ship right here?” Kinsman smiled grimly, “Tempting, but we don't want to block the docks. I'll hold this door. Put archers around the cargo hatch and pull it open. We can start in the middle and fight our way outward.”
The crew reacted quickly to this new tactic, but there was little they could do other than take cover from the Guild archers. Spen held the door at the fore of the ship. Naro led the charge down through the cargo hatch with Rukle immediately behind him. Kinsman lost sight of them as soon as they dropped below and he turned his full attention to the men at the base of the aft ladder. He had hoped they would move toward the center, to assist their mates, but they held firm. He sheathed his blades, took hold of his bow and nocked an arrow. The men below shifted to positions out of his line of sight, but they stayed close to the bottom of the ladder. “I might be able to get one or two of them as Naro or Rukle work their way closer”, he thought. The Wharfsiders fanned out to assist with covering the doors and hatches but none of them climbed down below deck.
Kinsman pointed to the men taking cover below and spoke to the Wharfsiders nearby, “Keep those men from climbing out. I'll go through the cargo hatch and join those below. This is taking too long.” He rushed to the fore and handed his bow over to Spen and returned to drop through the cargo hatch. Once he'd witnessed the fighting, he realized there was little he could do unless someone either withdrew or fell. The cramped quarters afforded no opportunity to join the fighting though it didn't stop him from looking for an opening. His Guild mates had accounted for six crew members and their bodies, in various locations, made it necessary to pay attention to where he stepped. Naro and Loryn were fighting shoulder to shoulder at the aft end of the galley, facing two men, one in the mate's quarters and one at the opening to the Captain's quarters. Balat and Rukle were trying to force their way into the main crew quarters to the fore but were being held off by the crew's longer weapons. The Wharfsiders at the fore began prodding down through the hatch with their spears and harpoons. This caused more of a distraction than an actual threat. Balat and Rukle were able to force their way through the door and into the space beyond. This allowed Kinsman to follow behind and press the advantage. The four crewmen fell quickly and Kinsman reversed his direction and rushed to the rear of the ship. He called out, “On your left!” Both Naro and Loryn shifted a half step to the right and he forced his way in. The man inside the mates quarters had been fighting a purely defensive battle. The man shifted his attention to this new attacker but was quickly outpaced and found himself off balance and exposed to a strike from Naro, who extended his left arm to punch the first few inches of his blade low into the left side of the man's chest. The man began to fold and Kinsman took advantage of the reaction and pressed forward, reaching past the man's blade to inflict several additional deep gashes. The man collapsed. The other sailor sought to slash Naro's exposed flank but was immediately forced backward by Loryn's onslaught. He attempted to push her away with his left hand and was awarded several deep cuts but managed to keep Loryn from reaching anything vital. Naro turned and blocked the man's downward strike and with the bloodied dagger in his left hand, made a backward slash across the man's right wrist, severing muscle and tendon, causing the man's grip to fail and the cutlass to clatter to the floor. Loryn recovered quickly and forced her way past Naro. The man tried to keep Loryn at arm's length but she was inside his defenses almost immediately. The sailor fell after receiving five quick cuts, three of them severing arteries in the man's arms and right leg. As the man fell, Loryn followed him to the floor, pushing her blade upward beneath the man's ribs on his right side, probably slicing the man's liver, but certainly puncturing his diaphragm and lung. She paused long enough to whisper something, but no one was close enough to hear clearly. Kinsman thought he heard a single word, “Hush.”
Not wanting to spend any more time than was necessary, Kinsman rapidly climbed back up to the deck and looked for either Mardon or Captain Rigel. Neither of them were in sight, so he left the ship in search of either of them. He found Silas on the second ship. Silas shouted, “The First chose this one. He said it looked like it's the one most recently refitted.” He pointed at the ship furthest toward the bay, “That ship has a lot of frayed rigging that'll need replacing soon. I'd recommend that one to be the one left behind, but your man may decide different.”
When he finally found Captain Rigel, Kinsman was minutes away from simply making the decision himself just so they could cast off and move on to the prison. Captain Rigel pointed to the first ship, “That's the one you want. She's actually the best of the three. Her seams are so tight that they've actually brought in barrels for ballast. ” Kinsman mentioned the observations made by Mardon and Silas. Captain Rigel's face contorted into what passed as a grin, “Trust a merchant to look at a ship as if she were pages in a ledger. There's more to consider than just a bit of cloth and rope. Makes no sense, he'll be wanting to change out the sailcloth anyway. That's the first thing you do to conceal the ship's origin.” The Captain addressed the more pertinent topic, “The third boat's already taking on more water than she should, and the second ship, the one the Wharfsiders have chosen, is crusted with barnacles. That'll take some time to get them cleared off. There's enough of 'em that it'll slow her down just a little until that's done, and who knows what they'll find while they're scraping?” Kinsman wondered briefly how the man could know those kinds of details. Any barnacles would be at, or below, the waterline. Instead he merely confirmed, “The third ship gets scuttled then. That's what I needed to know.” Kinsman turned to leave then faced the Captain again and extended his hand, “Sir, in case you've left before I get a chance to come back around... Thanks for coming. Fair winds.” Captain Rigel grasped his hand, “We'll stay a few days. I'm hoping you'll visit the Sundancer. There's no one aboard that'll play Nine Stones anymore.”
Kinsman returned to Silas and asked, “How many men will it take to crash and sink the third ship into the island?” The man shook his head, “It surely is a shame to deliberately sink a working ship! Are you sure about this?” Kinsman's expression remained blank. He repeate
d, “How many men?” Silas shrugged, “Six, or maybe eight. We'll tie off a longboat to her. Wharfsiders'll put her on course, lock the helm and then paddle to join us on the island.” Kinsman reminded, “Raise the Lukasi flag to its full height before jumping ship.” Silas smiled in answer then looked skyward as if his eyes could pierce the darkness and the storm, “This'll clear off by morning, so we'll need to be far away by then. There's still much rough water ahead.” Silas stepped away to select the men to navigate the sacrificial ship.
