A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3) - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

The ship in front of us was huge, much larger than any of the others I'd been on. It had three tall masts, strung with so much rope it looked like a giant spider had tried to make a web. It sat high in the water, with plenty of its dark hull visible. It was crawling with sailors—Telts, Crelans and even some Natives. West Draulin and Zianna's flags snapped in the brisk wind.
Kor and I were standing a little way down the pier, waiting while Tannix said a final goodbye to his mother and Tairia. Acen and Joen hadn't joined us yet, but the other knights were already on the huge ship. I watched Tannix for a bit, but as always, curiosity got the better of me.
"What's it called?"
"The WDN Draulin Guardian," Kor said. He was technically on guard duty but he wasn't watching Tannix. His eyes were glued to the ship, his expression so rapt he could have been looking at the Telt Goddess herself. "She's a beauty, aye? Never expected a chance to serve aboard her."
"She's huge," I said.
"Aye, mate. She's an Old World warship. She crossed the Storm Sea, landed at Crele, and then landed here. She's the only one left. She originally carried the cannon from the fortress tower."
"That odd catapult that doesn't work?"
Kor shrugged. "Well, must've worked at some point, right?"
"I guess so."
"Let's go." Tannix joined us abruptly, his clipped tone enough to get even Kor to stop gazing at the ship with adoration. We followed Tannix to the wide gangway, where we were met by a Crelan sailor who looked about my age, wearing a blue and white striped shirt.
He jumped to attention. "My lord, Cap'n Roland's waitin' for you on the quarterdeck."
Tannix barely acknowledged the sailor, but Kor paused to pat his shoulder. He smiled at Kor tentatively, and trailed after us as we climbed up the gangway.
The deck was a maze of men, ropes and boxes. Tannix wove through it all, most of his success due to the fact that people stepped out of his way. Kor, the sailor and I had a harder time. When we reached the quarterdeck, Tannix was already leaning over a table with Captain Roland, looking at a large, blank sheet. I didn't understand, until I saw the tiny ship-shaped pins that were scattered across the table.
Feet thumped to the deck beside me and Ender was suddenly there, one hand still holding one of the ropes that made up the shrouds. He grinned, the excitement of being on the ship overcoming the dread of what we were about to do. "Kor, mate, you have to look around this ship. We're going to be posted up front, I'll show you." He took a step then whirled around. "Kovin, aye?"
The sailor nodded. "Aye, sir."
"Right. Keep an eye on our mate here until Lord West Draulin tells him what to do. Finn, stick with the lad."
Before I could say anything about not needing an escort, the twins hurried off. With a sigh, I turned to Kovin. "Don't you have a job you should be doing?" I asked. "You don't have to listen to them."
"Cap'n Roland said his nephews are t' be obeyed, sir. So... d'you want a tour o' the ship?"
I wasn't really that interested in a tour, but at least it might distract me from what was coming. I nodded. "Yes. Show me around, please."
Kovin showed me around the ship as the final preparations for our departure were under way. He pointed out the huge metal ram that jutted out of the front of the ship, just below the water. The buckets of oil that were secured along the back of the quarterdeck. The enormous, sideway bows that he called ballista which were mounted on either side of the deck. The bins of arrows and javelins. Then he showed me the grapples and hooks that could pull another ship beside ours, so our soldiers could hop across to the other ship.
When it was time to disembark, Kovin brought me back to Tannix. We stood beside each other on the quarterdeck, with most of the knights behind us, while Roland and his crew got the big ship moving. Countless smaller ships launched as well. From above, we probably looked like a flock of birds taking off from the shore.
As we cleared the port, another fleet sailed around the cliff to keep pace with us. Navirian flags fluttered on each ship's tallest mast. A little sailor on the lead Navirian ship signaled to us by waving two flags. A Crelan on our ship responded in the same way.
The man kept his eyes trained on the other ship and called over his shoulder, "Captain, Lord West Draulin—Captain Sylvaine reports all is calm. No Deoran ships have been spotted."
"Reply the same," Roland said. "And let's pray Roe is on our side today."
He might have meant it as a figure of speech, but I took it to heart. I wasn't particularly fond of ships in the first place, and nothing Kovin had shown me really made me feel any better about the upcoming fight. I whispered traditional prayers to Roe under my breath as we slowly sailed across the Straits of Draulin.
Aside for Kor and Ender, who were working alongside the other sailors, we stayed on the quarterdeck. The time somehow passed slowly and quickly at the same time, and before I knew it, the city of East Draulin was in front of us. Deoran ships buzzed around the city like flies. Some of them were likely trying to flee, but the Navirian fleet was already heading to cut them off.
It was easy to understand why the Deorans would be trying to leave the city. To the left of East Draulin, what had once been a fairly bare, sandy road down the coast was covered in tents. A sea of tents, stretching down and away from the coast.
Between the tents and the city stood our army. It was impossible to make out individual men from our distance. They stood in neat lines, rows and rows of Telts, Navirians and Zians. Catapults and other siege weapons loomed over the soldiers, ready to launch their attack.
Castin was somewhere on the shore. I silently asked Zianesa to watch over him.
Then the moment I had been dreading happened. Roland turned around. "We're being approached."
Beside me, Tannix took a steadying breath. "We have to engage. We can't wait for Tandrin's signal. He'll have to move when he's ready."
"It's too early. Captain Whelay's fleet is too far South."
"Unless you plan on politely asking the Deorans to wait, we have to engage," Tannix said. "Whelay will join us when he joins us."
Roland nodded and began to shout orders at his crew. Tannix didn't have to say anything to the knights, they immediately went off to various posts around the ship.
"You need to go below," Tannix said, turning to me. "The captain's quarters. Don't argue."
I didn't want to go below, but I knew that if I stayed near Tannix he would be distracted trying to protect me. I caught his hand briefly, and his eyes darted to me. I held his gaze for a heartbeat.
"I know," he said softly. "Me too."
It was all the exchange we could afford. I left him standing there and climbed down the staircase. I had every intention of going into the captain's quarters, but as my hand reached for the door handle, I faltered. Maybe, if I stayed on deck, I could be useful. Or at the very least I would know what was going on. But if I was inside the ship, and we started to sink, I would be stuck. I couldn't make my fingers close around the handle. I thought I had done away with my fear of water, but really it had been lurking, waiting for this moment. I had to stay on deck, in the air.
Shouting broke through my thoughts. I pinned myself against the door—I would stay on deck but I would stay out of the way. That was the best I could do. I tried to block out thoughts of drowning by watching the crew. Half of them were still working, frantically managing ropes or climbing up and down the rigging. The rest of the men had lined up along the sides of the ship.
The ship was incredibly long, but I could pick out Ender and Kor, standing at the very front, bows in hand. They were shouting and gesturing. Some of the sailors grabbed bows and arrows, others grabbed javelins.
A ship came up on our right. Javelins and arrows flew in both directions. I watched Kor and Ender crouch in unison, and drag the tips of their arrows against their boots. I almost thought I was imagining things as the tips burst into flame. The twins knocked the arrows, drew back, and fired. Cheerful shouts from our ships mingled with panicked shouts from the other, as one of their sails was quickly eaten by flame.
I almost lost my footing as our ship lurched suddenly. The ballista on our left side had fired. Arrows and javelins rained on us from both sides. Kor and Ender shot more fire at the ship on our right. Cries of pain joined the orders that were still being shouted across the deck. I could see Joen and Acen, working together to prepare the left ballista for another shot. Jalor was taking cover behind the bulwark, a long javelin in his hand.
Pressed against the door, I was shielded by the staircases that led up to the quarter deck. The rest of the ship was far more open. In front of me, a sailor collapsed to the deck, blood escaping around the arrow that pierced his throat. I forced myself not to look at him, but there were downed men across the deck. My attention flickering frantically between the knights I could see. I had to imagine that Tannix, Mandell and Evrik were still on the quarter deck above me.
A few more volleys of arrows and javelins flew at us from both directions, and our men fired back. Then, on our right, grappling hooks tangled around the bulwark and shrouds. The men worked to cut them loose or pry them off. Evrik jumped down the stairs, axes in hand, and hacked at the ropes.
The ship on our right was entirely on fire. I understood suddenly that the grappling hooks were a last-ditch effort. They were trying to get close enough to light us on fire, so we would sink together. Evrik and another man with an axe were making progress with the ropes, but there was one they missed. I didn't think about it, I jumped over the dead sailor near my feet and ran for the hook.
It was tangled in what had been a neat coil of rope. I worked quickly, but fear made my hands clumsy. I kept expecting to feel an arrow or javelin pierce my back.
When I suddenly jerked backwards, it took me a second to realize it was because I had been pulled, and not impaled. I shoved the arms away and dove for the grappling hook again, finally freeing it from the ropes and tossing it over the side of the ship. The arms grabbed me again and yanked me back.
A large piece of wood slammed against the deck, right where I had been standing. Dazed, I followed the wood with my eyes to see that it was a piece of the burning ship's mast. The whole ship was listing sideways as it sank. It felt like time had slowed as I watched Deorans jump from the ship into the water. Then Evrik and the sailor with an axe were hacking at the mast, cutting it free before the weight of it tipped us.
I finally looked at my rescuer. Kovin was still holding my arm, even though his hand was slick with blood. I didn't think it was mine, and it didn't look like his, either. His eyes darted over my shoulder, and he was suddenly dragging me up the stairs.
The popping snap of wood breaking sounded behind us as the burning ship's mast gave way. I glanced over my shoulder to see the ship disappearing beneath the water. A handful of men rolled the rest of the mast over the edge. It splashed into the water and quickly joined the rest of the ship. Deorans, boxes, pieces of wood and scraps of canvas bobbed in the water.
The ship on our left was also sinking. Joen and Acen's ballista had shattered holes in the side of the hull, and it was taking on water. The Deorans were rushing around, panicked, while our men continued to throw javelins and fire arrows. I felt a brief flicker of hope, until I saw what Kovin had seen over my shoulder. Three more ships were approaching us. Two from the front, and one circling around behind.
Kovin dragged me across the quarter deck. Tannix and Mandell were there with Roland, but neither of them cast a single glance in our direction. Kovin dropped to a crouch beside the barrels of oil and I skidded to stop beside him. Up here, the deck was slippery with water instead of blood. Arrows and javelins jutted out of the wood. I realized Mandell was holding up a large plank of wood, nearly the size of a door but twice as thick. It was covered in arrows.
"How's your aim, mate?" Kovin asked.
I barely heard him. I had to repeat the words to myself before understanding. "Good."
"Good." He handed me a short stick, topped by a ball of something black and sandy to the touch. "Strike it on my boot when I tell you." He pushed against the barrel beside us, throwing nearly all of his weight against it.
The entire ship shuddered. Already crouched, I kept my balance easily. Kovin slipped and the barrel fell back into place. The sound of wood scraping against the wood drowned out whatever he muttered before slamming his shoulder into the barrel again.
I looked towards the sound and didn't understand what I was seeing. The front of our ship was pointed higher than it should have been. Stranger were the two masts, sticking up on either side of our hull. Then I remembered the ram.
"Now," Kovin said, his voice strained as the barrel finally tipped.
There was a black strip of rough looking material running up the side of Kovin's boot. I made a guess and ran the gritty bulb against it. Even though I expected it, it surprised me when flame flickered up from the bulb.
Kovin had already moved on to the next barrel. I was suddenly holding a little torch, and it seemed like magic. But I couldn't let it distract me. I stood, picked out the slick look of the oil floating on the water, and tossed the torch. As soon as it made contact, the patch of oil lit up. The ship that was coming up behind us ploughed right through it. Flames flickered against its hull and caught the net that hung down around front of the ship.
I saw the box of strange torches and grabbed one before running to crouch beside Kovin again. We repeated the process twice, until arrows from the ship behind us punctured one of the barrels and oil leaked out onto our deck. It was too risky for us to have fire near the oil, but we had already done plenty of damage to the ship behind us. It fell back as its crew tried to douse the flames that were eating their way up the hull.
The final of the three ships had circled away. One of its large sails was ratty and charred, but intact enough to catch wind. If they were trying to escape, they would have a hard time getting past the rest of our West Draulin fleet. The Navirian fleet to the North was already chasing down Deoran ships and penning them in. Between us and the Navirians was carnage. Smoke was pouring off of a nearby West Draulin ship, and another smaller one was attempting to draw close enough to rescue sailors. In the distance, a large Deoran ship rammed past one of the Navirians, tearing off the back half of the ship in the process. The Deoran didn't make it past unscathed, and they both started to go down. Patches of oil burned on the water, damaging any ship that moved through them. Specks of debris floated on the waves as far as I could see. I tried not to think about how many of those specks were people.
The ship Kovin and I had burned was going down. I heard Tannix's voice but didn't think anything of how close he sounded.
"Roland, circle back. We'll take on prisoners, if they surrender."
Roland shouted the new orders to his sailors, and a hand landed on my shoulder. I flinched, the adrenaline that had pumped through my body instantly giving away to guilt.
"I told you to go to the captain's quarters."
I raked my eyes across Tannix before replying, and to my immense relief I couldn't see any injuries. "I tried," I said. "But then I thought about us sinking and I couldn't be trapped."
Tannix touched my cheek, and his fingers came away bloody. "Find somewhere to hide. Please."
I rubbed the back of my hand on my cheek to wipe away the blood Tannix had touched, only to wince when it stung. I couldn't remember even getting the cut.
"I've got him, my lord." Kovin herded me away while I tentatively poked my cheek, trying to assess the damage. He pushed me back down the stairs, past the splintered mess where I had almost been crushed, over the dead sailor, and back into the relative safety of the two staircases.
There was a lull in the action as the Draulin Guardian turned to rescue Deoran prisoners. Kovin stayed with me the entire time. We listened as Tannix and the captain of the sinking ship shouted back and forth, then as soaking Deorans were pulled onto the deck and had their wrists bound. The men looked too relieved to worry about being manhandled.
Kovin and I heard the cheers when Captain Whaley's fleet arrived. They were too late to help fight, but they could comb through the wreckage, looking for survivors.
Then we heard the greatest sound of all. A sailor, yelling down from high on the mast.
"Zianna's flag above East Draulin! King Tandrin holds the city!"