The Children of Archipelago

by B A Simmons

* * *

  Night had come when Tom awoke again, yet he did not awaken to darkness. An eerie blue-green glow illuminated the trunks and lower branches of the ka trees and Aacarys’s melodic voice still sang dulcet tones. Despite not being an religious man, for a moment, Tom wondered if he was in Evan.

  He sat up and found Aacarys sitting crosslegged with her back resting against a sturdy trunk. Her song ended and her face smiled at Tom. Next to her sat the source of the strange light; a glowing globe the size of a man’s fist. Another had been placed near his bed.

  “Are you feeling more well, Tom?” Aacary’s asked.

  Tom looked down to his arm and flexed his elbow; finding it stiff, but with only a little real pain. It would still be some time before he could sail on his own. Of course, he would need a ship to sail.

  “I’m well enough, thank you,” He said. He hesitated, but as Aacarys did not continue singing, he continued. “I truly appreciate what you’ve done for me, Aacarys. I hate to bother you more, but I need to get the Entdecker, my ship, off the reef and repair it. Do you think you could help me with that?”

  “What is your ship?”

  Tom tilted his head, “My ship. The ship out on the reef. Your bea— I mean, your actel grabbed the octopus right there by it.”

  “Oh, the wreck. That is your ship? You want to leave this island. Colum is strong, I have flown with many ka beans and myself. It can take you to another island near this one.”

  “Well... I realize that would be easier for you. But I must have my ship. She’s not just my way off this island, she’s my home.”

  “I am confused. You say your ship is female and you dwell upon it?”

  Tom chuckled. “It’s just something we say; a tradition for sailors. We act as if our ships are our wives. But yes, I do dwell on my ship. Did you think this island was my home?”

  “Many years ago, a man like yourself dwelled here. He built the small house which burned down. He lived here many years before dying. I was sad for his death and did not return here until the time I met you, here in the trees.”

  “That was you! I wondered! I came back but you were gone. Wait, where’s the whistle?”

  Aacarys drew the whistle from her coat. “I dropped it as I fled. I was frightened by your presence here, but when I returned, I saw smoke and the small house was destroyed. Another man was dead on the sand and your ship had become a wreck. I thought the dead man was you.”

  “Jacob. He was my friend and crewman.”

  “Jacob,” She repeated. “He had a sword by him and burn wounds like your own. I had Colum bring him up to the remains of the small house. There I discovered the grave of yet another person. How many were in your crew?”

  “Five, including myself. Doctor Morris was sick, we buried him across the stream. Rob, my cousin... and Piers. Piers betrayed us, turned on us and tried to rob us. He burned the hut to send a smoke signal and then killed Jacob and made Rob and me take the Entdecker out to his own ship.”

  “Did this ship have more men on it? More who came to this island?”

  Tom’s eyes fell. “Yes, but they never had the chance to come ashore. I called the car-dun.”

  “What is ‘the car-dun’?”

  “A large— enourmous beast that lives in the sea. I attracted its attention so that it would destroy us all.”

  “Oh, why would you want it to destroy you and your ship?”

  “Better that than let Piers and his people take it.”

  Aacarys looked horrified by Tom’s tale. “Oh, you... you lost your crew and your ship.”

  Tom’s expression brightened. He shifted forward and tried to stand, but his balance was off and he stumbled forward off the bed. Aacarys was at his side in a moment, the worry written on her face made Tom feel foolish. This feeling only increased as she cradled his head in her hands. He bolted upright again.

  “I’m alright! I’m alright! I’m sorry! I just... I need you to understand. My ship is not lost! She’s just stuck on the reef! If Colum is as strong as you say, he could help us pull it back to the beach!”

  “You believe it can float on the sea, even now.”

  “She’ll need some repairs. I’ll need to replace the mast and I hope we haven’t lost too many ropes, but yes, she’ll float.”

  “With your arm hurt, as it is, you cannot make these repairs.”

  “Couldn’t you help. I mean, you’re stronger than you look and...”

  She smiled at him, “I am not knowledgable of ships. I would not know what to do.”

  Tom sighed. He flexed his arm again. She was right. He knew she was right, though he fought against having to admit it out loud.

  “Then how about this? We get the Entdecker back to the beach, then you can take me to Aruth Isle with Colum. I’ll get help there and bring them back to make the repairs.”

  “Tom, I have worry for you. There are dangers in this plan that could kill you.”

  “No more dangerous for me than for you,” Tom countered.

  She brightened at his expression of concern. “Is leaving this island so important to you?”

  “Yes. I have other friends... family, who need me. They need my ship. I cannot stay, even though I love this place.”

  “If you bring others, they will also come to dwell here.”

  “Perhaps.” Tom felt a pang of distress. “Perhaps not. This is a small island. Not many people could live here, if anyone even wanted to.”

  Aacarys furrowed her brow, her sapphire eyes searched the night sky before returning to Tom. “If you must leave here and you must bring other men with you... I come here for ka beans and I have worry for the island. Men often destroy without real purpose.”

  “Aacarys, I am not that kind of man.”

  “I know.”

  “I will not bring that kind of man here.”

  “You already did.”

  Her words struck Tom’s heart. Again, he knew she was correct; there was no guarantee that the men of Aruth wouldn’t ruin the pristine condition of Hellhound Isle. He had no argument to counter her facts. He cursed Piers in his mind; cursed himself for not having realized the man was untrustworthy.

  For several minutes he sat upon the bed, thinking. His mind churned and considered, he contemplated and connected ideas until his brain hurt. He could think of nothing that allowed him to keep Hellhound Isle a secret. He must either remain there, unable to repair his one way off island or he must get to Aruth and convince Baron Eric to help. For the thought of Pete, John, Roger and the rest of his friends and family on Engle Isle fighting the Falcon Empire without the weapons on the Entdecker, made his heart and mind ache more than the thought of losing Hellhound Isle.

  Tom looked to Aacarys, but discovered she was asleep. He considered waking her to continue the conversation, but thought better of it. As he lay back onto the mattress, it occurred to him that Aacarys liked him. She not only saved his life, but now sought to keep him on Hellhound Isle. He wondered about the man who had lived there before them; who built the hut and dammed the stream. She had known him, yet that must have been years before they arrived. None of them had ever found any human remains on the island. What exactly had happened to him?

  These were the thoughts that followed him until, hours later, his eyes closed and he joined Aacarys in sleep. His decision was made, but he wondered if it meant he would lose her affection for him.

  The Old Man and the Falcon

  T he Alphina made a loop around her sister ship to ensure they weren’t being pursued before coming alongside her. Pete leaped aboard the Old Man, running immediately aft in search of Trina. He found her pulling a crewmember’s body out from below the quarter deck. It was Trevor she held; his body impaled by large shards of wood from the hull. She laid him out on the deck where three other wounded crewmen received attention from Richard.

  Trina turned and fell against Pete, embracing him tighter than an octopus. The embrace was short, for Adele appeared, limping and holding her left wrist in her right
hand.

  “We’ve got the holes plugged... mostly. We’re still taking on water, but we’ve got men on the pumps.”

  “Where’s Logan?” Trina asked, wondering about her first mate.

  “He and Jonas are working on the steerage,” Adele reported.

  “How badly are you damaged?” Pete said.

  “We’ve got five holes in us, sir. Three below the waterline, then two that took out our tiller and damaged the mainmast. Three dead, five wounded.”

  “Four dead,” Richard cut in. “Trevor, just now.”

  “How soon can we get back in action?”

  The group turned to see Tim standing on the deck, wearing determination and anger on his face. They stared at him for a moment, trying to understand his words.

  Adele looked to Trina before answering. “Damage to the mainmast means we can’t sail even close to top speed. Jonas believes he can rig the tiller to work, but no hard maneuvers. If we take any more damage below the waterline, we’ll be sunk.”

  Pete stepped close to Tim, “She’s in no condition for a fight, Tim. I’m sorry you get to take her like this, but you need to get her out of here.”

  Tim glowered at Pete.

  “We can’t abandon Engle Isle in its greatest need.”

  Pete shook his head. “You’re not abandoning us. Someone’s got to get up to Isle de James and tell Henry Reese about the invasion. Make repairs and then come back with their ships to help.”

  Tim growled, “I just got away from that island, I...”

  “I know, but this is what we need you to do now. Or, Trina can retain command and you can remain on the Alphina as acting first mate.”

  “No, no. I’ll take command.”

  Pete gave Tim a smile of confidence and turned to the others. “Richard, remain aboard and tend to the wounded. All but the first watch and badly wounded will transfer to the Alphina. Tim will take the rest to Isle de James and bring the might of our allies back to smash the Falcons.”

  Trina asked, “And the Alphina?”

  “We stay and fight. Get that three pounder transfered over.”

  “Sir?” Adele said. “Am I ‘badly wounded’ or may I join you in this fight?”

  Pete looked to Richard.

  “She sprained her ankle and wrist dodging a cannon blast,” the medic said.

  “If you can get aboard without help, you can join us.”

  Adele grit her teeth and walked the hausers over to the Alphina. Trina walked behind her, ready to assist, just in case. Pete was the last to leave, giving Tim and Richard another of his stoic smiles and nodding his confidence in them.

  Tim was left with Richard, five able bodied sailors and Jonas, the carpenter. The three men whose wounds were too severe were moved to the captain’s cabin. After ordering the sails unfurled, Tim took his place at the makeshift tiller where Jonas showed him how to operate the temporary steering.

  “In short, we’ll have to rely on manipulating the sails and making wide turns to minimize the stress on the steerage.”

  “No worries. We won’t be using it much. Pretty well a straight shot from here.”

  A sailor named Mortimer reported to Tim. “We’re under way sir, wounded are below. Any further orders?”

  Yes. I want all the powder on board brought up to the main deck.”

  Mortimer squinted his eyes as if to make sure it was Tim he was speaking to. “Sir?”

  “That’s my order. See it done.”

  * * *

  With the Old Man on her way north, Pete took the tiller on the Alphina and gave orders for her to be tacked into the wind for a few miles. He wanted some room to build up speed. Yusef ensured that all crew were wearing armor and armed with as much weaponry as were on board.

  With the Old Man a blurry dot near the north end of the island, Pete brought his ship around for a pass across the opening of John’s Bay. At least one of the Falcon ships should be on guard duty there. Trina made one stop at the tiller, kissing Pete before taking up a position on the forecastle with her bow. Pete fought the urge to call her back by him. He knew she could take care of herself and as much as he hated it, he needed her up there as inspiration to the crew. Her reputation and demeanor gave them more confidence than Pete’s smiles.

  Indeed, most of the crew were already veterans, having fought the Falcons and the Quillian. Their courage was not to be doubted, nor did Pete worry about how well they could coordinate their efforts, either in sailing or in fighting. Aside from Trina; Yusef, Logan, Adele and Harland had all venerated themselves during the past year of war.

  All of them stood tall on the deck as their ship carried them into harm’s way. Even before passing the west peninsula, they saw the smoke over the island. Pete turned the tiller over to Donald and ascended the quarterdeckwith his far-see. The Falcons left no ship to guard the opening of the bay, rather all three of their main ships and both assault ships were close in by the docks of Port John.

  The town itself was ablaze.

  Harland FitzHugh burned as hot as his hometown.

  “Hoy, they’ve got their backs to us! We can pay them back heavy, we can!” He shouted.

  “No!” Pete retorted.

  “No!?”

  “Don’t mistake me, Harland. Port John is my home too, but we’ve got two more ships unaccounted for. I’d rather not have us caught in the middle of them all should those two support ships come in the bay behind us!”

  They understood the wisdom in Pete’s words and even Harland held back any arguments. They continued sailing, past the bay and the peninsula on its east side. Where the sea opened up again, Pete caught sight of the other two ships. They were off the northeast shore, sails furled and anchored.

  “Bring us about, Donald! North by east!”

  These were the targets Pete set as his prize. His mind whirled in thought as it considered every possible approach. He knew they would see him coming; they had time to prepare. Even with the speed he’d built up, the wind would no longer be in his favor, but set the Alphina on level fighting ground. He ordered Donald to hold course northeast and kept his breathing even as his odds.

  Harland grabbed the far-see and stared at the ships. The intensity of his gaze worried Pete.

  “Pete, they’ve got boats in the water!”

  Pete snatched the far-see back. Indeed, it was as his fellow Engle Islander said. Four long boats bobbed in the waves between the ships and the shore. Two were full of men, two headed back to their mother ships empty. They were landing infantry on the northern shore as well as at Port John.

  “We’ll pass them on the east to draw them away from the boats, then turn around and cut between them and the shore. Take out those boats and they’ll have to swim ashore to fight!”

  Harland’s mouth curled in a wicked smile.

  As the Alphina approached, still a mile or more from the larger ships, one of them weighed anchor and unfurled its sails. Catching the wind, she moved southeast to intercept the defenders. Pete repeated his order to Donald.

  Several hundred yards from the threatening ship, Pete ordered the extra sails put out and those sailors to stand by them. Speed was the key to success; yet for as heavy as she was, the Falcon ship moved toward them like a mother behemoth protecting her calves.

  Guessing that Pete meant to outrun them on the east, the Falcon turned due east to block him.

  “Take us straight north, Donald! As hard to port as you can!”

  The crew clung to the ship as she shifted in the waves. The sheets were tightened to take the wind and the Alphina lurched to the west, her bow crossing a hundred yards shy of the Falcon ship’s starboard side. Unprepared for the maneuver, the Falcon did not fire her guns until the Alphina had passed their sights. Yusef ordered the three-pounder to fire at the Falcon’s stern, punching a paltry hole just above the waterline.

  “Keep us going!” Pete shouted at the wind.

  “She’s turning to catch us!” Someone yelled.

  Yet they knew the larg
er ship would take too long to turn. By the time they executed the maneuver, the Alphina was well away from them and quickly approaching the Falcon still at anchor. Here again, Pete deceived them and his own crew by passing them on the west instead of the safer east.

  “Target those boats!” he shouted.

  Three shots came from the Alphina as the Falcons loaded men into two of the boats. The three pounder blew the bow off one of the long boats and sent half its occupants into the water while the rest started scrambling back up the nets into the mother ship. Both swivel guns struck the second boat as they attempted to escape around the ships stern. However, neither shot hit the boat as she was packed with so many men that they absorbed the horrific impact of each shot. Trina and other archers fired into them also, increasing the casualties as both the long boat and the main ship were helpless to avoid the onslaught.

  Deeming their assault a success, Pete put some distance between themselves and their enemies. As Donald began turning, he looked from the two Falcon ships to the two boats on the shore. Through the far-see he could see them finishing their disembarkment. Falcon infantry stood on the stoney beach, unchallenged by Engle Isle’s defenders. As much as that irked him, Pete knew he couldn’t let it divert his attention from the matter at hand. There were still soldiers aboard the ships he faced. If he could keep these men from landing, even just a few of them, he will have done his duty.

  “Take us east ten degrees, Donald!”

  Harland did the math in his head and turned a questioning look to his captain. “That will put us on a course between the two ships!”

  “Yes it will,” Pete said.

  Appearing to spot his blunder, the Falcon ship they had eluded earlier narrowed the gap between herself and her sister ship, which was still at anchor, drawing in their nets and the men in the water.

  “Two more degrees to port, Donald!” Pete ordered.

  Harland again questioned his countryman. “That’s headed straight for ‘em!”

  “Yes, it is. Perhaps you’d rather close your eyes for this one, Harland.”

  “By Ayday, Pete. You may be meecher after all, but there is no way I’m missing a moment of this; even if it gets me killed.”