“On the Serpen? About a hundred.”
“We have a similar headcount.”
The captain shook his head. “You’ll be outnumbered, for sure. The reinforcements they’re sending will swamp those numbers.”
“You mean, the vessel that’s on its way here?”
“With a treasure this large, I would expect a small fleet.”
Aisling thought about her enemy. I know I weakened his abilities, she thought, but it wasn’t enough. He must be working with others to get what he wants. I should have eliminated his powers when I had the chance. Now he’s still out there, angry and bitter.
And he was coming after her.
CHAPTER TEN
SILVER AND GOLD
Aisling paced across the chamber. The prince watched her from across the room and furrowed his brows.
“What is it?” he asked. “You look deep in thought.”
She sat at the table and tapped her fingers against the wood. “I’d like to try something new,” she said, “but there’s risk.”
“I’m nervous when I hear that word,” he said, as they locked eyes. “What are you thinking?”
“Remember when we were in the East Kingdom, and the enemy filled the bags of grain with sand?”
“How could I forget?” he growled. “It almost starved our people and cost us our lives.”
“I know it’s a painful recollection, but what if we do something similar here?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I can transport people, I believe it’s possible to do the same with objects.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“No, that’s the problem. I’ve never done this before. If it doesn’t work, our men may be in more danger.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“We need to move the silver to a safe location. Your men will have to retrieve it.”
“Can’t you transport it here?”
“We could, but I’m afraid it would generate too many questions for our crew.”
“You’re right.”
“Once we have the silver in hand, I’ll use my scepter to fill the original crates with rocks.”
“It sounds like a good approach. Is there any risk to your health?”
“No, but there is something that bothers me.”
“Tell me.”
She shook her head. “How is it that none of the rescued officers knew about the crew’s plans? I’ve heard of mutinies before, but didn’t anyone have suspicions?”
“I wondered about that myself. Perhaps there was some inkling, but they were caught off guard.”
“Do you think any of the officers could be involved?”
“I don’t see how. They were all left to starve on a remote island.”
“Captain Vanker seems trustworthy. He didn’t have to tell us about the political environment within the kingdom, or the ties with Lord Thrain. For now, though, let’s keep our actions secret from everyone except a chosen few.”
“I agree. When do you want to transport the goods?”
“As soon as possible.”
“What about the recovery of the ship?”
“We were asked to retrieve the silver. I believe King Chauncey has other plans to recoup his vessel.”
“What about the officers? Where do we take them?”
“I’ll see if the daggers can tell us anything.”
“It sounds like we have our bases covered,” said the prince.
“If everything goes according to plan.”
That prospect, she thought, almost never happens.
While the prince met with his soldiers, Aisling located Ryen on the deck.
“Any updates?” she asked.
“Commander, the lookout teams have spotted a waterfall.”
“That’s good news. Proceed to that location.”
“I’ll have the men continue to scour the terrain,” said Ryen.
“Good, if you spot other ships, let me know.”
“All right,” he replied, as he hurried off to speak with the crew.
Aisling surveyed the shore. So far, there was no unusual activity.
A short while later, the Saoirse arrived at their destination. The tumbling waters glistened as they catapulted into the seas. Next to the waterfall was a private cove.
She hurried back to her cabin and summoned her daggers. She picked up the first wand, and held it with both hands.
“I command that the hidden treasure be transported to this remote island, near a spot by the cove.”
The power launched out of the instrument, into the sky.
Aisling paused. I wonder if it worked, she thought, as she felt her energy wane.
She made another attempt with the second sword. It was the one that defeated the evil forces in Melaka. It had also helped to neutralize the King of Floe. She repeated the decree.
At once, the force leapt out of the dagger and flew into the air. She felt a tremendous jolt as the scepter pulsed with vitality. It was a source so strong that she clutched the table for support.
I have one more task, she thought, as she concentrated with all her might.
“I declare that once the treasure is moved to the new location, that the original boxes be filled with rocks.”
The effort had been so consuming that she didn’t hear the prince enter. He looked alarmed as she hovered over the table, her face an appalling shade of white.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, as he rushed to her side.
Aisling could see him speaking, but the words sounded distant. He grabbed her hands. They were cold.
“Talk to me,” he said, as his concern increased.
“I tried to transport the treasure,” she said, “but it required more energy than I realized.”
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “It’s the first time I’ve ever had to repeat a command. Somehow, the first sword acted as though it didn’t have the capability.”
“You had me concerned. It seemed you were somewhere else.”
“It’s a new experience for me. Once I learn from my actions, my magic will improve. It won’t be so scary.”
He grasped her shoulders. “As long as you’re fine,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
She leaned against his chest and gulped deep breaths. After a few moments, she felt better. Aisling looked up and smiled at the prince. “Let’s go retrieve our treasure,” she said.
He nodded, but hesitated before he let her go.
The prince had never regretted leaving the colonel behind, until now. There were few people he could confide in, and while he would never betray his wife’s secrets, he relied on his officer to handle operations so that he could ensure Aisling’s well-being.
He frowned as he thought about their latest quest. It was never clear to him what dangers she faced. After the last feat, he was shocked when he saw how much of her energy was depleted. His frustration mounted as he realized how little was known about the enemy.
To compound matters, he didn’t know whom to trust. Other than Aisling’s cousins, and friends Owen and Fionn, there wasn’t a wide selection of people whose discretion was assured. He sighed. At all costs, he wanted to avoid unwanted rumors about strange dealings on the ship.
The prince debriefed his team, and they boarded the boat for the island.
Ryen and Aisling peered through their spyglasses as the prince’s team approached the cove. A dozen men conducted surveillance of the area, while a few soldiers checked the crates. There were twenty-four chests in total.
They loaded the goods and began the trek back to the Saoirse. Aisling breathed a sigh of relief and headed to a remote section of the ship for some air. As she rounded a corner, something flashed overhead. She pulled out her spyglass and scanned the decks.
It was one of the officers from the Serpen, and he was sending a signal to the island north of their current location. She rushed off in search of Ryen, and ran headlong into him, as he was preparing for the prince’s ar
rival.
“What is it?” he asked, as she grasped his arm.
“We need to arrest that man,” she said, pointing to one of the rescued officers from the Serpen, who was perched above them. “It looks like he’s announcing our location.”
“I’ll get the soldiers.”
Ryen headed out to find the mercenaries. A few minutes later, they had restrained the traitor and locked him in an empty cabin.
There was a flurry of activity as the prince and his entourage returned to the ship. The crates were locked in a storage vault. As he thanked his men, Ryen hurried to meet him.
“Your Highness, while you were gone, we had an incident on the ship.”
“What happened?” he asked, grasping the hilt of his sword.
“One of the guests gave away our position.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s been detained.”
“Where is the princess?”
“In her cabin. She asked to see you.”
“All right. Locate the other officers from the Serpen. From now on, we’ll need to monitor their activities as well.”
He hoped they hadn’t been discovered.
The prince hurried to the chamber. As he entered, Aisling crossed the room and flung her arms around him.
“I’m relieved that you’ve made it back,” she said.
“I heard about our spy.”
“Our enemy may have been lying in wait. That’s what the sword indicated. My guess is that our location has been compromised.”
“How do you want to handle it?”
“I’ll create a fog layer and push back the enemy. Has the silver been secured?”
“Yes, we’re good on that score.”
“Were you able to check all the crates?”
“We did. It’s all there, and then some.”
“What do you mean?”
“In addition to silver, we also found gold.”
“What?”
“If King Chauncey isn’t missing it, perhaps it was stolen from someone else. Either way, it seems that our treasure has multiplied.”
“If you can uncover information from the rogue officer, it would help.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Who is behind the mutiny? What orders were given to the crew? When are reinforcements coming? Who is chasing us now, and where are they?”
He laughed. “You’re optimistic, I see. I’ll try and get him to cooperate. At this point, though, he has nothing to lose, and that makes him dangerous.”
“Be careful,” she said. “Let me know what you discover, so I can try and push back the enemy.”
He nodded, and headed off with his men.
The prince sat at the table, drumming his fingers. “I want some answers, and I want them now,” he said.
The officer sat in the chair, looking at the floor.
“If you’re not going to cooperate, we’ll drop you off on one of the remote islands. You may never be found again.”
“They were going to come get me.”
“Who?”
“The crew.”
“It seems they changed their mind. Who’s behind this?”
“I know of one person. His name is Lord Thrain.”
“What was he paying you to do?”
“Steal the silver.”
“What else?”
“Offload other cargo as well.”
“What kind of goods?”
“I don’t know. The boxes were sealed.”
“Where are they taking the ship?”
“Back to the Land of Penge. The plan was to leave the other officers on a deserted island, dispose of the silver, and claim it was stolen when the ship was raided by pirates.”
“What did they promise you in return?”
“A share.”
“How much?”
“Enough for a new life.”
“Who were you signaling?”
“The crew of the Serpen.”
“For what purpose?”
“They’re scheduled to pick up the silver near here. I wanted to let them know another ship was in the area.”
“Where are they?”
The man sighed. “On the next island.”
“When are they retrieving the goods?”
“Before dark.”
“Today?”
He nodded, and gazed at the wall.
“Who else is coming?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I think you do. Someone like Lord Thrain isn’t about to let a mutinous crew manage such a valuable cargo.” The prince crossed his arms. “I’m waiting,” he said, as the officer shifted in his chair.
“Will you let me disembark with the others who were rescued?”
The prince nodded. “As long as you don’t do anything to jeopardize our journey. Of course, you’ll have to deal with your own authorities.”
The man looked off into the distance. “Two more ships, called the Dagrun and the Hemming. They’re supposed to be here already.”
The prince stood and knocked on the door. His soldiers opened it and peered into the cabin.
“Make sure he has food and water,” he said, as he closed the door behind him.
Aisling sat at her desk, poring over her Book of Magic. The prince flung open the door and crossed the room. He updated her on the revelations from the officer.
“We don’t have much time. There are ships in the area. Once word gets out that the silver is gone, they’ll come after us.”
“I’ll create a fog layer,” said Aisling. “That should help us avoid immediate danger. When we gain some ground, I’ll produce a storm to keep them off our trail.”
“We’ll need to get the treasure into the king’s hands. Where should we go?”
“Somewhere unexpected.”
Aisling and the prince huddled over the table, scanning a map of the northern territories.
“This is what I propose,” she said, pointing to a new destination.
Their discussion was interrupted by an urgent knock. The prince flung open the door to see Ryen, disheveled and out of breath.
“What is it?” he asked.
“We have company.”
Aisling stood and glanced at the chart in front of her. “Where are they now?”
“They’re closing in on both sides.”
She grabbed her spyglass and headed to the deck, as the ships drew near.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
HIDDEN SHADOWS
The three-mast vessels, the Dagrun and the Hemming, were armed and mobilizing for action.
“They’ll try and block us, so they can board and steal the cargo,” Aisling said.
“I’ll get our soldiers ready,” replied the prince, as he hurried off to roust his team.
Aisling retreated to a secluded spot and summoned her scepter. As she examined the terrain, she paused. Her original strategy was to create a layer of fog so thick that it obscured all visibility, but she realized that plan would cast them into harm’s way. The coastline was riddled with rock formations, and although her navigators were exceptional, it posed a clear danger. She thought about alternatives, and extended her wand.
“I decree that sandbars are created in front of each enemy ship, to impede their progress.”
As the energy surged from her hand, she steadied herself against the railing. A few minutes later, she sat on the deck and inhaled deep breaths. She was dizzy and disoriented.
Shouts echoed across the water. Their assailants had crashed into unforeseen barriers. Ryen and the prince hurried down the deck.
“Commander,” said her cousin, as he caught his breath, “our pursuers have run aground.”
She made eye contact with the prince. “How extraordinary,” she murmured.
“How should we proceed?” asked the officer.
“Head south.”
“Where are we going?” asked Ryen.
“The Outer Hebrides.”
Aisling sat i
n front of the stove and held her hands near the radiating warmth. It had been hours since they fled their assailants, and the enemy was nowhere in sight. She calculated the impact of the sandbars and estimated that the Saoirse had a six-hour head start.
As the prince entered, she smiled. “Is there any talk of strange events?” she asked.
“No, the crew believes our pursuers ran aground due to poor navigational skills.”
“Good, then.”
“What’s the plan?”
“I’m going to summon King Chauncey.”
“To what end?” he asked.
“Before our enemies return to the Land of Penge, I need to tell him what happened. I also want to unship the cargo as soon as possible.”
He nodded. “I agree with that. We’ve been gone longer than I expected.”
“I hope this works. Otherwise, we may be delayed until the goods are transferred,” she said.
“When were you planning to summon him?” asked the prince.
“I need to regain my energy. Tomorrow, I think.”
“Let’s have dinner and get some rest. I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, as she reached out and hugged him.
She hoped that were true.
That night, Aisling lay curled up next to the prince. While the ship rocked with the violent motion of the waves, she was locked in his arms. After awhile, she began to dream.
The visions were blurry. There was a remote island. The locations seemed familiar, but looked different. Her breathing became more rapid. She could see some sort of confrontation. At that moment, it was as though someone were reaching out and trying to pull her into the fray. She gasped and bolted upright.
“What’s wrong?” asked the prince, sitting up and peering into the dark.
She took a deep breath. “I had a bad dream.”
He pulled her back down and put his arm over her. “You’re fine,” he murmured. “Everything’s all right.”
Her mind raced. She knew one thing for certain.
Their enemies weren’t giving up.
The ship headed south, through rough waters. The threat of a storm had materialized, and Aisling could see a line of squalls stretching across the gloomy sky. The winds howled as the ship battled waves of undulating white foam.
While the prince headed to the galley, Aisling sat at her desk, reviewing her Book of Magic. She thought about the implications of summoning Chauncey. It may raise suspicions among his advisors, she thought, with trepidation. There was a more uncomfortable thought. What if I make his illness worse?
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