by Stas Borodin
Meanwhile, four dark figures appeared at the pier. Ice and I jumped to our feet and dashed to the gangplank. The cloaked figures were met by a squad of armed commandos.
“What did I say?” I heard Bevid’s loud voice booming from under the hood. “It was like taking candy from a baby!”
We breathed a sigh of relief.
“But I couldn’t get rid of the womenfolk,” the first mate chuckled. “These two are stubborn ones; they want to see the interrogation with their own eyes.”
Lady Nameri and Nela poked the prisoner with long thin daggers, urging him forward. The merchant’s mouth was tightly gagged, so he could only groan and hiss in reply.
The captain was standing at the entrance to the cargo hold. He seized the merchant by the hair and threw his head back, staring into his bloodied distorted face. “There is a rat in every port,” he growled. “A lifetime is not enough to catch you all!”
A powerful kick in the butt sent the prisoner rolling down the flight of stairs.
“Let’s get started!”
The merchant was stripped naked and fastened to a heavy chair. The marines brought a lamp and brazier with hot coals.
Bevid wiped his sweaty face and took his jacket off, revealing a blood-soaked bandage. “It’s nothing,” he said carelessly. “Just got into an argument with our friends from the warehouse.”
“I patched him up,” Lady Nameri said. “However, he still needs to see a doctor. The wound is pretty bad.”
The captain bowed to the women.
“Thank you, Madam.” He looked at Bevid disapprovingly. “And you should be more careful, buddy, you are not as tough as you used to be.”
“You should have seen those thugs!” Nela stood up for the first mate. “They fought like lions!”
“Bah, some lions!” Bevid spat. “Please, excuse my manners…”
The prisoner listened to our conversation with interest, his eyes moving quickly from face to face and his bared teeth chewing on the gag.
“Lookie here, pal.” Bevid approached the brazier, took a hot poker and pressed it against the merchant’s chest. The flesh hissed, filling the air with a smell of burnt meat. The prisoner squealed and soiled himself. “Just to emphasize the seriousness of our intentions!”
At first, the women were frightened by such unexpected brutality, but then they remembered their loved ones killed by the pirates and moved closer, looking the traitor straight in the eye.
The captain pulled the gag out of the prisoner’s mouth. “Well,” he said, “I will be frank with you. There is no way out. Cooperate with us and I’ll grant you an easy death.”
The merchant’s plump body trembled, his lips bloodied and teeth rattling. His cold calculating eyes turned to Bevid. “You won’t scare an old navy officer that easy, boy!” Then he turned his head to the captain. “And you, mister, can shove your threats up your arse! You won’t get shit from me! Fucking pirates!”
“Are you calling us pirates?” Bevid raised his bushy eyebrow. “But it was you who sold us the goods taken from The Swallow!”
The merchant licked his split lips and looked at Lady Nameri. “You know how I feel about you, Madam,” he moaned. “This is just a terrible misunderstanding. How can you believe these pirates! Can’t you see what they are up to? They want to ruin an honest man. I beg you! Help me! Please!”
“An honest man?” Bevid chuckled. “You killed her husband and sons just to get into her bed. Your concept of honesty is pretty twisted, I must say.”
“That’s a damned lie!” Neksos growled. “A damned lie!”
“Only you two knew The Swallow’s route,” Lady Nameri said. “You and Toras.”
“I hate pirates as much as you do,” the merchant whined. “Believe me, I have nothing to do with it.”
“I can’t.” Lady Nameri’s eyes narrowed. “I have all the evidence I need.”
Bevid stood up, taking the red-hot poker from the brazier. “It’s my turn,” he said.
“Then do it! I won’t confess!” The merchant turned to the women. “Look at me, ladies! Watch an innocent man tortured!”
The captain leaned over the prisoner. “You know, you don’t have to suffer,” he said. “Just answer a few questions.”
“And then you kill me?” Neksos laughed. “No deal.”
“He’s a merchant to the bone, always trying to bargain,” Lady Nameri said. “But I’m a merchant’s wife, and I know how to strike a deal.”
“My lady,” Neksos exclaimed, “I have nothing to confess! I am an innocent man! These accusations are—”
Lady Nameri took out her dagger and held it to the light. “I’m no lady,” she said, “and you know it. My father was a hunter. He did killing and I did skinning. Every single day from sunrise till dawn I was there at the tannery, covered with gore. Bear, wild cat, rabbit, you name it. I can skin this pig here with my eyes closed. Wanna see if my skills are still sharp?”
She got up from her chair and went up to the prisoner.
Neksos sobbed, hiding his eyes.
“My lady, you’ll have to wait till we leave,” the captain said. “I am afraid that he will wake the whole island with his bellows.”
Ice and I hastily retreated to the deck. The sky was beginning to lighten, the stars disappearing one by one. The city was still asleep, but the port was already coming to life. I saw fishermen carrying nets and baskets, stooped stevedores and cocky guards.
The sailors pushed the ship off the pier with long boathooks, the upper row of oars rose above the water and The Punisher slowly glided towards the port entrance. The sun was still low, the great bulk of Temna crimson against the grey sky.
Bevid approached us and clapped his hands. “There is no creature more terrifying than an angry woman,” he said, looking thoughtfully at the rolling waves. “He’ll talk, naval officer or not.”
Twenty minutes later, the silence was broken by a bloodcurdling scream coming from the cargo hold. The sailors laughed.
“Should have hanged him by the balls,” suggested one of them.
“That fat pig?” Another sailor sounded amused. “They would have snapped in an instant!”
There was a new burst of laughter.
“Are you coming?” Bevid asked.
“No thanks,” Ice said nervously. “We better stay here in the open air.”
Soon we were joined by the captain. “You were right, Master Wizards. The pirates have set up their base on Porsk.” The captain’s face looked tired. “He told us everything the moment he realized that Lady Nameri wasn’t joking. Damn, I never saw a man break so easily!”
“I was scared myself, a little bit,” Ice admitted. “What now?”
“Bevid made him an offer he cannot refuse, and he took it gladly.”
“An easy death,” I sighed.
“Yes,” Captain Gormant nodded. “A chance to die with his dignity still intact.”
Bevid came back, a crooked smile on his broad sweaty face.
“Well,” said the captain, “is it done?”
“Nah. Those girls are deadly serious,” the first mate said with a grim chuckle. “I wouldn’t dare steal the prey from two furious she-cats.”
“But what about the promise you made to the merchant?”
Bevid frowned. “I lied.”
Someone howled down below, and the sailors laughed again.
Chapter 10
By noon we had reached the harbour of Suz. Ice and I volunteered to escort our guests to their family estate, where the two women planned to spend the rest of the summer.
“I wonder if we’ll ever go back to Artera,” Nela said, looking at us. “So many memories left behind, and so much pain…”
“But we are the part of your memories now,” said Ice, taking her hand, “aren’t we?”
“I won’t forget you, Master Wizard. That I know.” She delicately freed her slender hand and was gone in a heartbeat. “Farewell.”
“What a beauty,” Ice sighed, looking at t
he thick iron-bound door. “My pa used to say that beauty and wits make a mighty dangerous combination.”
The weather was fair, The Punisher finally caught a tailwind, and we were travelling fast under full sail.
“If the wind holds, we’ll reach our destination in a mere three days,” the captain said, inspecting the map. “Meanwhile we should sharpen our swords and prepare ourselves for battle.”
Bevid stood at the stern alone, looking thoughtfully at the horizon. I joined him quietly and leaned against the bulwarks, watching the foamy trail left behind the ship and cheerful school of dolphins frolicking in the emerald waves.
It seemed to me that the old sailor wanted to talk but couldn’t muster his courage.
“Lady Nameri is a rare woman,” he muttered finally, picking nervously at his pointy moustache. “You should have seen the passion flashing in her eyes!”
I just nodded. What could I say? My experience in this field was pretty limited.
“Old Toras,” the first mate sighed, “he was a lucky man!”
“I wouldn’t call that luck,” I muttered, but Bevid chose not to pay attention to my remark.
“You know, I would sell my soul for a wife like her,” he said, gazing into the distance. “So tough, so smart and so damn beautiful! She’s like a roaring wildfire!”
“She’d burn you to ashes,” the captain said, joining us at the stern. “Is that what you want?”
“I don’t care really.” Bevid smiled. “I’ve smouldered like this for many years now, and nothing can fire up this old heart of mine. Not wine, not boobs, not curvy asses …”
“It’s age,” the captain grumbled. “We are not getting any younger, you know.”
“True.” Bevid nodded and put his hand to his chest. “But something stirred here today, something warm, something long forgotten.”
“Fascinating.” The captain looked amused. “Should I turn the ship around?”
“Come on!” Bevid laughed. “And what next? What can I offer such a beautiful rich widow? Only these two hands and this ugly mug of mine. Some groom I’d make.”
“Mug for mug, I have seen worse,” the captain said. “Old Toras himself was famous for his sharp wits, not for his good looks. Lady Nameri is a wise woman; I’m pretty sure she won’t be swayed by a pretty face or muscular chest.”
“Really?” Bevid said. “Do you seriously think I have a chance?”
“Of course.” I supported the captain. “I saw her looking at you when you brought in the traitor. Her eyes were huge, and her cheeks were flushed!”
“She was angry,” Bevid muttered.
“No, brother, she was looking at you, not at the prisoner,” the captain agreed. “It’s decided. We’ll visit Suz on our way back to Paara. I hope we’ll take a rich bounty on Porsk, and you will be a rich man by then, with your share of the treasure.”
“Damn right!” Bevid livened up, his melancholy disappearing immediately. “If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I have a sabre to sharpen!”
The captain sighed. “I’ve seen many things in my lifetime,” he said, “but I never dreamed I’d see something like that!”
For a long time I sat in the shadow cast by the sails, watching the soldiers inspect their gear and oarsmen resting on the deck with their feet up on the bulwark. In this rare quiet moment I didn’t care much about the dreadful pirate island, getting closer with each passing mile.
I took the volume of poetry out of my bag and opened it, looking at the dried rose lying between the pages. Its long curved thorns had left an imprint on the thin paper, like some ancient fossil on white limestone. I touched the thorns with my finger. Sharp as needles. I brought the book closer to my face and caught a familiar scent. Atkandor Rose; they grow under my mum’s windows back in Lieh.
I smoothed the page with my hand and read a few lines. The poem was bitter and sad; it was written by Ash, whom it turned out I hadn’t known at all.
Carefully holding the wilted flower between my fingers, I turned page after page.
What was he thinking when he wrote these lines? Was he lonesome back then in that empty and hostile world of balls and intrigues? Was he already planning his daring escape? But why, all of a sudden, did he decide to forfeit his noble name, to change his face? Why did he decide to fill his idle but comfortable life with meaning?
Perhaps, the steppes were to blame? He was enchanted, turned, as if by magic, from a gentle court poet into a hardy steppe-man. He’d fooled me too. Deeply tanned, short-haired, dressed in a worn scout’s uniform, he looked just like a real nomad. Narrow-minded, rough and brutal. I’d thought that his interests were limited to brawls, horse races, drink and women.
However, in this sense, the scouts were no different from the noble knights; they all liked the same things.
I thought I was a good judge of people; I thought that their appearance said everything about them. How could I have been so stupid? Well, I and all my peers were taught from early childhood that only well-dressed and well-groomed men could be trusted. We were made to believe that all the street beggars were either thieves or murderers, deserving neither trust nor mercy. I sincerely believed in this crap until I grew up and met a few noble paupers and a dozen elegantly dressed scoundrels.
Bevid had fooled me as well. When I saw him for the first time I mistook for him for a bully, who took pleasure in abusing his subordinates. When I first heard the captain’s loud voice I immediately pictured to myself a terrible giant. Lady Nameri, so soft and feminine at first glance, had proved to be harder than nails and sterner than the most seasoned sea wolf.
Judging people by their looks had fooled me every time.
To my surprise, my favourite books, filled with wit, were utterly worthless. Finally, I understood the value of real-life experience, and I wouldn’t trade it even for a book written by the wisest man in the whole world.
✽✽✽
We spent the night hiding behind a small island a few miles away from Porsk, eating cold meat and hard cheese for dinner as we didn’t dare make a fire.
The marines dragged a small altar from the cargo hold and spent the rest of the night burning incense before Orvad’s stern face. The oarsmen were praying to the gods of the seas and storms. The captain and his first mate didn’t pray to anyone.
Shortly before dawn, the captain ordered the anchor to be hoisted, and we moved towards the pirates’ lair.
Porsk was a pretty big island. From the north it was surrounded by a chain of steep cliffs. A large bay, which had once housed a beautiful port, was located further to the south.
In the past the island was famous for its shiny volcanic stone. It was in high demand in Paara, Gonkor and even Mino. Zenorians bought shiploads, paying with precious dyes, gold and ivory. The plague changed everything in one day. Since then, Porsk stone became very rare and its price increased tenfold.
“We’ll send lookouts first,” said the captain. “They’ll scout the island and warn us if they find pirates or any signs of the plague.”
“And what next?” asked Ice.
“Next?” Bevid grinned. “We enter the damn harbour and drown whatever floats! Nice plan, isn’t it?”
“Not really.” I was suddenly worried.
“You don’t have to plan a thing with The Punisher,” Bevid said. “We are going in, and they are going down. That’s all, plain and simple.”
I knew nothing about sea battles, but nevertheless, this “plan” seemed too risky.
“What if we run into a ship just like ours?” I asked. “What then?”
“A pentera of their own?” Bevid raised an eyebrow. “No, Master Wizard, the pirates just can’t afford it; its upkeep is too much even for a rich city like Paara. And there is another crucial thing they lack to operate a vessel of this size – discipline. These bastards would be cutting each other’s throats by the end of the very first day!”
“Well,” I said stubbornly, “what if they built some coastal fortifications? They’ve certainly
had time and resources.”
“Pirates never build.” Bevid rolled his eyes. “They only know how to pillage, how to burn and how to destroy.”
I still wasn’t convinced.
“Relax, Master Wizard! Everything will go smoothly as planned.”
Half an hour later a red signal sphere blinked from the shore.
“May the gods bestow on us their grace,” Captain Gormant smiled, putting a steel helmet on his head.
I took Ice aside, so that the captain could not overhear us.
“I don’t like it,” I said, handing him the Tear of Heart. “Be ready, and use your Gift without hesitating!”
Ice squeezed the amulet in his hand and nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Marcus. If need be, I’ll burn the whole damn island to ashes!”
“Crossbowmen, get ready!” Bevid barked.
The marines slung their crossbows across their backs and deftly scaled the rope ladders, climbing to the small wooden crow’s nest at the top of the mast.
“Looks like a good spot to see the battle.” Ice craned his neck upward. “Should we join them?”
From the top of the mast we could see the entrance to the harbour and the red light blinking on the shore. The crossbowmen let us through respectfully.
“Always happy to see you, Master Wizards!” The sergeant of the crossbowmen secured a tall iron-bound shield in front of us. “Just fasten your belts, please; anything could happen during the fight.”
Ice and I fiddled with our belts and buckles while The Punisher picked up speed.
Suddenly, the drums thundered and bagpipes wailed, water hissed loudly around the ram, and the huge ship entered the port at maximum speed.
The pirates were there. Dozens of lean fast galleys and fat unwieldy cargo ships were scattered throughout the port area.
The captain blew a whistle and leaned on the helm. A long, sleek bireme with two rows of oars appeared right in front of us. The pirates were heading toward the exit from the harbour and didn’t expect to see the pentera’s monstrous ram right in front of their noses.
With a terrible crash, the ram pierced the hull of the enemy ship. Broken oars, trunks and mutilated oarsmen flew high in the air. From my vantage point I could clearly see the horrified faces of pirate ship’s crew.
