Revelyn: 1st Chronicles - When the last arrow falls (31 page)

He was smiling once more, for Captain Lukas of the King’s elite Night Guard, and Commander of the armies of Revelyn had no fear of death, or of any other man. He was glad however that those vile creatures which served the evil Zelfos would be fighting on their side.

*

The
Scoria
swung awkwardly at anchor, half a league off the main harbour at Rhyversend, the gateway township for all trade travelling the mighty Luminos river to Ramos. All craft engaged in any trade on the river were under the control of the harbourmaster, a rather nasty creature by the name of Geddy Grech, whose childhood dream of a life at sea in command of an impressive sailing ship, had been quickly ended by a persistent and chronic seasickness, and ever since, he had moved through a range of administrative jobs, all to do with shipping, until his recent appointment as the most powerful man outside of the Royal city. The Rhyversend harbourmaster had huge power; he could search any ship and confiscate cargos, apply fines and take sailors into custody. At his word a ship might be held up for days, or allowed to travel quickly on without filling in the forms and requisitions he required. Grech held the fortunes of businesses in his hands, and he loved it with a passion. Grech was answerable to the king only, and as such was able to wield a corrupt power for which he was locally hated and universally feared. He had always retained a massive sense of inferiority toward anyone who sailed the seas and was able to keep any food down, and so he reveled in making their lives difficult, for it made him feel superior. It did not help that at barely three cubits tall, he was always looking up at the world, and those he persecuted.

On this morning however he was in a particularly good humour, for in his hands he held a cryptic message from the White Palace, only just delivered from the busy
carriave
post not a stone’s throw from his impressive cliff-top office overlooking the harbour and river mouth.

Harbourmaster Grech, search the Scoria. Two traitors suspected on board. A woman Serenna Menin red hair. A man Rema Bowman. Wanted for treason and murder. Report immediately.

                          Captain Lukas of the Night Guard. Commander in chief.

Grech smiled broadly. He could see the
Scoria
some distance offshore, waiting his inspection. He knew the captain. Lethyne Tyne was all Geddy Grech aspired to be. He was a legend to the seafarers of Revelyn; a hard man who knew no fear, who ruled his crew with an iron fist. His ship was sleek and fast, and his seamanship without equal. All this made Geddy Grech hate him with a passion borne of a long and deep jealousy. And today Captain Tyne had fallen into his hands. Geddy Grech rubbed his hands together in satisfaction and anticipation, then finished his dressing, ensuring that the uniform, which was his own design and brightly brocaded, was impeccable in its presentation. Every crease and fold was perfect. The white breeches were without blemish and the boots brightly polished. A silk handkerchief poked a little too ostentatiously from a coat pocket, for only the rich and powerful in Revelyn could afford such accessories. The only dark cloud on Grech’s triumphant horizon was the fact the he had to travel out to the
Scoria.
This meant being on the water, and even a short trip by rowboat was enough to turn him green; but today he prided himself on facing any danger to achieve his goal; the capture of two traitors for his King, and the humiliation and imprisonment of Lethyne Tyne with the consequent confiscation of the famous
Scoria
. For this he was prepared to face the water. He pulled on his smart cap, left the office, and walked down the cliff steps to the quay below where his private vessel waited, complete with three pairs of oarsmen and the same number of soldiers. 

‘Ready men!’ He loved to have them stand to attention as he climbed aboard.

‘Ready sira!’ The large and long suffering crew leader had the boat slicing through the waters toward the distant
Scoria
in no time at all. Geddy Grech sat like at statue in the stern in his specially built high-seat which added substantially to his height, and gave him a view, for without it he would have found surveying his watery kingdom somewhat of a challenge. Unfortunately the waters were not smooth with the current against the tide, and before the crew had completed a dozen oar strokes, Geddy Grech was starting to feel distinctly nauseous.

Captain Lethyne Tyne stood on the rear deck of the
Scoria
waiting impatiently for his two guests to appear. He’d sent Wormwood for them as a matter of urgency, but that seemed an age ago, and every moment counted. He’d suspected that the ship might be checked, it was routine for most shipping before leaving Revelyn, but the flag station up river had signalled to him as they past just after sunrise that the
Scoria
was to be officially searched. This could only mean one thing. He was suspected of carrying a suspicious cargo. It was anyone’s guess as to why he’d been singled out, but with the two fugitives aboard he couldn’t take any chances. His whole livelihood depended on passing inspection. The lowlife Grech had been looking for a reason to destroy him for years, and if the woman and man were found on board, all hope of future work in Revelyn would disappear. Tyne knew he could escape, for his crew would stand by him, but that was a last resort. He needed the trade, and starting again in some far distant land was not something which appealed.

He had anchored the ship as far out as he dared in the river, not quite in the main channel, but almost. He wanted it rough for the mean little harbourmaster. The sicker he was the better. Everyone who had anything to do with shipping on the Luminos River knew that harbourmaster Grech couldn’t abide anything under his feet which wasn’t solid rock, and Captain Lethyne Tyne knew that any official inspection of the
Scoria
would involve the harbourmaster. It had been that way for years.

‘Finally!’ he growled as Serenna and Rema appeared on the lower mid-deck. They stood looking up at him, which he liked. He put all thoughts of his recent disastrous evening with Lady Serenna out of his mind. This was purely about his survival, nothing more.

‘We are to be inspected by the harbourmaster.’ Tyne began. Serenna and Rema listened with growing concern. ‘My belief is that a message has been sent that we might be carrying fugitives. The harbourmaster Grech is a malevolent wretch and has been after me for years. It’s a long story but we need to pass inspection for the sake of this ship and crew.’

‘And us!’ Serenna felt obliged to interject.

‘Obviously!’ Tyne retorted. ‘Now the ship will be thoroughly searched. Grech will ensure that, so we have to make you two disappear. I have a plan, but I hope that you both aren’t afraid of heights.’ Secretly Tyne hoped they were, and so was somewhat disappointed when his two guests looked at each other and smiled, before replying in unison.

‘No problem Captain.’ He hid his disappointment.

‘Right, well we have very little time. There is a small lookout platform on each of the two forward masts. The sides are not high but if you keep low you won’t be seen. Lady Serenna you take the foremast and you Bowman the middle mast. Don’t come down till I call out. There will be some movement up that high so if you are sick, do it quietly. Now off you go, get up there and wait. Do not look. They will have men crawling all over the place. Wait for me to call. Is that understood?’

Understood captain,’ Rema tried to sound enthusiastic but failed. Serenna just nodded.

‘Go on then!’ thundered Tyne, ‘they will be upon us at any moment.’

Serenna and Rema obeyed, realising just how agitated the Captain was. As they started their climb up the rigging to the tiny platforms high above, the loud and authoritative voice of the captain came clearly once more to their ears.

‘Wormwood, get Smallbone and report to me. I have a job for you both and I want it done immediately.’ He then turned and looked nervously back to the shore. It was going to be close.

Geddy Grech was feeling awful. He cursed himself that his stomach was so weak. He knew that his men were aware of his plight and were most probably laughing at him despite their very straight faces and hard work on the oars. He just knew. In the distance the
Scoria
sat like some unachievable goal. He gritted his teeth and stared longingly at it; he focused on the one thing that would bring him satisfaction. Today he would have the upper hand. Today he would show that superior Captain Tyne what authority and power was all about. Today.

Geddy Grech may have been small, and cursed with no sea legs at all, but nature had gifted him with exceptionally good vision. So good was his eyesight that he had often surprised his men by stating the arrival of a ship from far across the bay well before anyone else could discern it, and then he would give its name from his vast memory of all the ships which had ever come past his petty kingdom. Oh yes, Geddy Grech was a real eagle-eye. And so he saw as they approached the
Scoria
, what those with him did not, the two tiny figures climbing the rigging and disappearing onto the high observation cradles. He watched carefully, thinking they might be sailors sent aloft to tie off a rope, or fix some problem, but no, they remained hidden, and Geddy Grech felt a warm glow spread through his tortured torso.

‘Got you Tyne,’ he whispered softly to himself, ‘you’ll not wriggle out of this one. I’ll play it out to the end. This will be lovely. Oh yes this will be so fine.’ And he smiled so broadly that several of his crew looked at each other and shrugged, as if to say,
now what’s he so happy about, and on the water and all?

Captain Tyne hated having officials on his ship, and Geddy Grech most of all. He welcomed him through clenched teeth.

‘Harbourmaster. Welcome aboard once more. I trust that your visit is simply routine, for we have nothing to hide as you will see.’

‘Oh we
will
see Captain Tyne.’ Grech spoke with an oily magnificence which only he found attractive. He turned to the six soldiers and three sailors who had followed him up the rough rope ladder.

‘Men we have authority to search this ship, on the King’s orders. We are looking for two fugitives, wanted for treason and murder. A woman, a red head, and a man by the name of Bowman. You will search the ship and any resistance or lack of co-operation by any of the crew will be reported to me, in which case the ship will be delayed indefinitely and whatever consequences will follow as I decide. Off you go then. I will wait here with the captain and supervise.’ He waved a hand rather theatrically and his men left. He turned to Captain Tyne.

‘I suppose it only fair to allow you to speak of what you know of these two. If they are aboard it will be a serious crime, but if you hand them over we will of course take this into consideration when considering any punishment.’ He was not expecting the captain’s reply.

‘You can go to hell little man,’ growled Tyne, ‘You can search the ship all you like. You will not find any traitors on board, much less a red-headed woman.’ He stumped to the rail and spat ferociously into the water. Grech was not put out however, for he had dealt with Tyne on many occasions and knew his temper.

‘Well it won’t take long Captain and then we can all have a good laugh, although I expect I will be laughing loudest.’ At that moment the ship lurched as a large swell coming over the bar knocked the Scoria roughly on the beam. All the seamen on board reacted instinctively but it caught Geddy Grech by surprise, and he stumbled and fell heavily, sliding a few paces along the deck in such a fashion that he was immediately overcome by a powerful need to retch, which he did in spectacular fashion just moments after he managed to stand and stumble to the rail.  After that the two enemies ignored each other rather pointedly, although Grech could not help but notice the nervous manner in which Captain Tyne looked aloft every now and then.

You are really worried Tyne. I bet you are shaking in your boots. Laugh at me for my lack of sea legs will you. Just you wait!
He enjoyed the process, knowing that he held all the right cards and would lay them on the deck, quite literally, at just the right time.

When the sun reached the noon, almost all of his men had returned and reported nothing at all. They had looked in every cabin, every hiding place, and the main cargo spaces, from the keel to the main deck. Nothing at all. Grech feigned frustration, and sent them off again. He wanted Tyne to think that he was desperate, and staring humiliation in the face. As the day dragged on Tyne relaxed, but still risked those giveaway glances aloft.

You fool Tyne, you think you are so in control and yet you are giving them to me!
Geddy Grech was enjoying himself immensely, and he had only visited the rail to relieve his tortured stomach twice more. It was a good day; and it was going to be much better before it was over. Finally his men reported that they had searched everywhere several times and the ship was clean, only crew on board. Tyne now stood proudly at the wheel, and smiled condescendingly at the harbourmaster. Grech shifted uncomfortably and questioned his men to the point of being ridiculous, until Captain Tyne could take it no longer.

‘Harbourmaster Grech I think we all know that you have found nothing. Stop berating your men, apologise for the trouble you have caused me and leave. I’ll even promise not to laugh. Just having you off my ship will be pleasure enough.’  Tyne tried hard not to growl but failed.

‘Well,’ said Grech slowly, shaking his head in apparent disappointment ‘I was sure we had you Captain Tyne but it looks like my men have searched thoroughly...’

‘They have indeed,’ Tyne interrupted sarcastically, ‘and a fine bunch of searchers they are, but as we can see they have found nothing. Let’s call an end to it. I’m sure the weather is worsening and your good self should be safe ashore where you’ll come to no harm.’

Grech bristled at this condescension, and closed in for the kill.