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Authors: Jeffrey Quyle
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that sent blood streaming into his eyes, then Alec stabbed fiercely at his opponent’s knee, which buckled in disabling pain.
Alec turned and helped another of Natha’s men battle one of the Stronghold minions, then saw with excitement that a group of the trapped sailors were bursting out of their safe harbor in the warehouse to fall upon their tormenters.
The tide had turned against the Stronghold invaders, Alec could tell. A small knot of them were surrounded by the sailors, as Alec called loudly, “Let them surrender! Let them lay down their weapons!”
His men hesitated, as another group of Stronghold warriors approached from where they had been fighting a cluster of sailors who were protecting the Current Rider .
“ Quickly now, herd these captives into the warehouse, or kill them,” Alec shouted loudly enough to be heard by the small knot of captive men with blue ribbons. “Move along you!” he emphasized to the men. “Drop your weapons here and go into the building now or you’re dead.”
They chose to take his threat seriously, and as Inspir prodded them into the warehouse, Alec led others out to engage the new combatants. Two of them dropped suddenly as they approached, and Alec saw with joy that the men on the ship were firing arrows into the former besiegers. Within minutes, more were dead, and those remaining were added to the captives in the warehouse.
“ Where’s Parlton?” Alec asked during the quiet respite from the battle.
“ I’m coming lad,” he heard the familiar voice boom out, and saw a hand wave high over a tall head on the deck of the ship.
Alec jogged over to the water’s edge and boarded the vessel. “I’m glad to see you,” he said somberly.
“ I’m even gladder to see you,” the mate replied. “You may not have battled any pirates on the way here, but your work today more than made up,” he grinned with satisfaction.
“ I’m told the captain’s dead?” Alec questioned abruptly.
Parlton’s face showed a mobility Alec hadn’t expected as it turned from joyful to somber. “Aye, Francis lured him to the gate and….”
“ We don’t have time for explanations, Parlton,” Alec spoke quickly again, trying to direct the conversation.
“ We won’t hold out long against a whole cs face think we need to get everyone on the ship and retreat downstream quickly,” Alec urged in a fast, low voice. “Lieutenant Inspir isn’t ready to take command in a situation like this; you’re the mate, so you’re in charge now. Gather up your wounded as fast as possible and get them on the ship so that we can sail before the next attack comes.”
“ I suppose you’re right,” Parlton considered. “Even if they don’t attack again right away, they will attack again. If you’ll support me, the lieutenant will agree. We better get down river and warn the next ship not to come this way.”
“ I’m going to go back and get Walnut and get him on board,” Alec gestured towards the far end of the dockyards. “You get some archers to guard the warehouse and get everyone else on the ship as fast as possible. We can still make it out before sunset and perhaps get some distance downstream under cover of night.”
“ You be careful down there,” Parlton said, placing his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “I’ll get the lads rounded up and ready to go.”
Alec returned the friendly gesture, and the two stood together for a moment looking at one another. Alec broke his gaze away and ran back down the gangplank to go find his horse, hearing Parlton barking out orders as he ran.
Still feeling a strange atmosphere of tension, Alec sensed the presence of several men near the gate. Carefully working along the edges of buildings to avoid exposure, Alec reached a spot twenty yards from where Walnut was standing in the yard, pawing at some greenery along the foundation of one of the abandoned buildings. Alec called softly, and Walnut’s ears swiveled to catch his voice, then the
Alec turned and helped another of Natha’s men battle one of the Stronghold minions, then saw with excitement that a group of the trapped sailors were bursting out of their safe harbor in the warehouse to fall upon their tormenters.
The tide had turned against the Stronghold invaders, Alec could tell. A small knot of them were surrounded by the sailors, as Alec called loudly, “Let them surrender! Let them lay down their weapons!”
His men hesitated, as another group of Stronghold warriors approached from where they had been fighting a cluster of sailors who were protecting the Current Rider .
“ Quickly now, herd these captives into the warehouse, or kill them,” Alec shouted loudly enough to be heard by the small knot of captive men with blue ribbons. “Move along you!” he emphasized to the men. “Drop your weapons here and go into the building now or you’re dead.”
They chose to take his threat seriously, and as Inspir prodded them into the warehouse, Alec led others out to engage the new combatants. Two of them dropped suddenly as they approached, and Alec saw with joy that the men on the ship were firing arrows into the former besiegers. Within minutes, more were dead, and those remaining were added to the captives in the warehouse.
“ Where’s Parlton?” Alec asked during the quiet respite from the battle.
“ I’m coming lad,” he heard the familiar voice boom out, and saw a hand wave high over a tall head on the deck of the ship.
Alec jogged over to the water’s edge and boarded the vessel. “I’m glad to see you,” he said somberly.
“ I’m even gladder to see you,” the mate replied. “You may not have battled any pirates on the way here, but your work today more than made up,” he grinned with satisfaction.
“ I’m told the captain’s dead?” Alec questioned abruptly.
Parlton’s face showed a mobility Alec hadn’t expected as it turned from joyful to somber. “Aye, Francis lured him to the gate and….”
“ We don’t have time for explanations, Parlton,” Alec spoke quickly again, trying to direct the conversation.
“ We won’t hold out long against a whole cs face think we need to get everyone on the ship and retreat downstream quickly,” Alec urged in a fast, low voice. “Lieutenant Inspir isn’t ready to take command in a situation like this; you’re the mate, so you’re in charge now. Gather up your wounded as fast as possible and get them on the ship so that we can sail before the next attack comes.”
“ I suppose you’re right,” Parlton considered. “Even if they don’t attack again right away, they will attack again. If you’ll support me, the lieutenant will agree. We better get down river and warn the next ship not to come this way.”
“ I’m going to go back and get Walnut and get him on board,” Alec gestured towards the far end of the dockyards. “You get some archers to guard the warehouse and get everyone else on the ship as fast as possible. We can still make it out before sunset and perhaps get some distance downstream under cover of night.”
“ You be careful down there,” Parlton said, placing his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “I’ll get the lads rounded up and ready to go.”
Alec returned the friendly gesture, and the two stood together for a moment looking at one another. Alec broke his gaze away and ran back down the gangplank to go find his horse, hearing Parlton barking out orders as he ran.
Still feeling a strange atmosphere of tension, Alec sensed the presence of several men near the gate. Carefully working along the edges of buildings to avoid exposure, Alec reached a spot twenty yards from where Walnut was standing in the yard, pawing at some greenery along the foundation of one of the abandoned buildings. Alec called softly, and Walnut’s ears swiveled to catch his voice, then the
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