A Tale That Dawned [Book 4 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 24: Struggle on the Southern Seas

Red heard commotion and raised voices coming from above, shattering her thoughts about gods and purposes. Bigbad uttered a low growl and she gave him a comforting pat.

"Let me go check it out, Bigbad," she said as she rose and headed for the stairs. "Stay here for now."

The wolf groaned in displeasure but did as he was told, resting his head on the ground and sighing deeply.

Poor Bigbad, Red thought as she ascended to the main deck. He deserves so much better...

The main deck was a flurry of activity with men arming and readying the cargo ship's few cannons, sails unfurling to add speed, muskets being loaded in haste, swords unsheathing, and orders getting bellowed left and right. She spotted Lancelot and Robin standing at the bow, gazing ahead, weapons bared.

Hurrying to them, she asked, "What's going on?"

"A fleet is heading this way," Lancelot replied, his normally jovial voice now stiff and steady. "Most of the ships are swift xebecs and dhows, with a few galleys, brigs, sloops and schooners."

Standing nearby was the ship's captain, peering through a spyglass, his face pale and his breath quick. "What would a Sauradian fleet of warships want with us? The sultan has no quarrel with Avalon and yet I've been through enough ship duels in my younger life to know that these are battle formations. This is a loose fleet of unprotected cargo ships, men. If these are pirates, I fear they are in for some easy pickings."

"Why are they no warships protecting this fleet?" Red asked with a frown. She would have expected better from King Arthur.

"The king was initially going to spare us a few but the admiral had better ideas," the captain replied with a snarl of distaste. "He said all warships would be needed to break the blockades around Frenis and that none could be spared for, as he called it, petty babysitting."

"Most of this fleet is carrying passengers," Robin said, glancing at the captain. "There is little loot for these pirates."

"Slaves still exist in Sauradia," Lancelot noted pointedly.

Red's body went cold. These pirates weren't after money or loot. They were slavers. They were after the bounty of flesh and this fleet would supply them with plenty. "What can we do?"

"There's no outmaneuvering those vessels," said the captain. "They'll catch us no matter which way we go. We may have the tailwind but those lateen-sailed vessels can sail into the wind. If we try to sail past them they'll simply turn around and catch up effortlessly."

"Then we fight," said Lancelot before gazing firmly at the captain. "I suggest you raise the flag, captain. Let the other ships know that battle us upon them. There is no negotiating with these pirates save through blood and steel."

Red's thoughts went to Captain Hook and how she desperately wished he was here. He would know what to do and how best to engage these pirates. He had attacked Empress Rhiannon while in dragon form with Marjeneh's Grace, sailed through a raging ship battle mostly unscathed, and defeated more pirates than any other man in Faeryum. If there ever was a time for his purpose to be revealed it was now and yet he was not here. The captain standing beside her had experience in naval combat but he was not sailing a powerful ship of the line or an agile brig. His ship was built around carrying as much cargo as possible, not surviving a battle or destroying enemies. What cannons he had were there to support the actual fighting ships of the fleet, of which there were none.

The captain turned around and faced his crew, hollering loudly. "Stand fast, men! Ready your muskets and cannons and grip your swords tight as battle will be on us soon! Defend this ship with your lives! It is better to die fighting for freedom than to die a slave!"