The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (98 page)

Aiva stood at her father’s side, listening intently to the directions given by Callum while the men gathered, dressed in their military best, prepared for whatever challenge was posed to them by their Captain. General Cadell remained quiet at the King’s side, pride visible in every feature of his face to hear his son, directing the soldiers with such ease and confidence. The earlier uncertainty had vanished from Callum’s eyes. In front of the men he was an image of perfect calm.

He and Gadiel were to lead a small group of men onto the enemy ship once it was within range. Their goal was to disable the vessel in any way they could. Destroy the masts. Take away the enemy’s means of gathering speed to take chase. Once the pirates were at a disadvantage, the Vor’shai archers could barrage the ship with fire-lit arrows to attempt sinking the vessel. It would be far from a simple task. The pirates would never let them succeed without a strong defense. Aiva loathed her inability to assist with the disabling of the ship. Callum expressly forbid it and she was in no position to argue his decision. She counted her blessings her father had granted her permission to fight at all. This was no time to press her luck. Callum didn’t have to state his reasons for not wanting Aiva to set foot on the enemy ship. If she was a target of Ireni’s anger, to place herself in the midst of their largest numbers hardly seemed a wise idea. She would have to remain on the Tanispan ship with the others and try to hold the enemy at bay until Callum and Gadiel returned.

Callum came to pause in front of his father, chin held high, proud to stand there in his presence. Cadell offered his hand to him, giving it a firm shake. “Well, Captain. It would seem you have a solid plan. Is there anything you would like me to do, or should I simply stick to what I do best?”

“Actually, there is one thing you could do,” Callum glanced between his father and the King, chest heaving from a long breath before continuing. “You are the most experienced fighter here. In my absence, I must request you keep an eye out for Ireni. If she boards the ship, you are most suited to fight her. Do not allow her near Aiva. Or the King. I believe she has a special interest in harming Aiva and we cannot allow that to happen.”

There was both merit and fault in the idea of Cadell taking on Ireni. Aiva tried to put herself in the mind of a woman like Ireni. Her focus would be Aiva, but if she discovered her challenger was Callum’s father, she would do everything to strike him down simply out of spite. “Captain,” Aiva started, the title sounding foreign coming from her lips. It was important she keep formalities. The time for relaxed conversation had long since ended. “While I don’t argue the General to be the most skilled, and likely the most suited to face Ireni in combat, would it not place him at risk if she determined who he was? All things considered…” She let her voice trail off, unwilling to give further detail while so many others could hear what was spoken between them. The secret of Callum’s past with Ireni was not known by all the soldiers. It was best to keep it that way to avoid any lapse in confidence the men had in following his orders while fighting against the very woman he was once accused of aiding.

“You believe she will strive to harm him simply for the sake of him being my father?” Callum asked, never faltering at the suggestion. “It’s possible, I can’t deny. But we cannot discard a sound strategy and place countless others in danger because of her jealous tendencies. I appreciate your concern, Princess. In this case, your counsel is appreciated, and certainly not ignored, however, the General has never let an enemy intimidate him before. I doubt he intends to start now.”

“On the contrary, I look forward to meeting her in battle,” Cadell stated proudly. “If she is half as skilled as I hear rumored, then it will be a good test of my own technique. Fighting the best among our enemies is my duty, dear Princess. Do not worry about me.”

Aiva let her eyes linger on Callum, silent, staring him down with concern. He held her steady gaze, somewhat apologetic, though saying nothing. Eventually she forced herself to look away. There was no sense in challenging him. They didn’t have time.

At her submission Callum’s hand came to rest on her shoulder briefly. An acknowledgment of her fear. She knew he couldn’t speak to comfort her, but his touch was enough. He stayed by her side for only a moment before turning away, motioning for Gadiel to come forward. “Commander,” he stated calmly. “Get the men into position. The pirates are within range of fire. Commander Varik, see the ballistae loaded and prepared. Everyone keep your shields up. We will feel their arrows before they are close enough for us to defend against their swords.”

The men dispersed quickly at Callum’s direction, leaving Aiva to her thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. Her heart raced, though not with the panic she expected. It was excitement. Fear remained constant but there was no hesitation about her decision to fight. She looked forward to it. Ached for the battle to begin. There would be no peace until it was over. The longer the wait drew out, the more torturous it felt. She stood proud, shoulders back, the dark fabric of her doublet still damp from her earlier swim. On edge for the coming fight, she jumped at the sound of Edric’s voice behind her, hand rested upon her hilt, drawn slightly from its sheath. Edric took a step back, arms outstretched defensively in front of him.

“Aiva, it’s only me.”

“You scared me,” she breathed, slowly releasing her hold on the sword. “This is not the time to sneak up on people. You could get yourself hurt.”

“I’ve been calling your name for a while. It hardly felt like I was sneaking up on you,” Edric straightened his doublet, exhaling a deep breath. “I wanted to make sure you were alright. You are under a great deal of pressure. I thought it might be a good idea for you and I to stay close. We always made a good team when we were younger.”

“It would be a better team if Callum did not insist on boarding the enemy vessel. The three of us have always been stronger together,” Aiva sighed. Since hearing of Callum’s plan, she’d refrained from speaking out against it. There was no reason to hide her discontent from Edric. Next to Callum, he had been her best friend all her life. He wouldn’t judge her for being concerned. “Why could he not send someone else to do this job? He is the Captain. Is it not better for him to remain with the ship?”

Edric gave a sympathetic smile, moving closer, his voice low. “Aiva, the fact that he is the Captain is exactly why he has to do it. The boarding unit needs a leader. General Cadell outranks him and therefore is the one best left to command the soldiers aboard our ship. That leaves the away mission in Callum’s hands. Try not to worry about it. Callum is an efficient soldier. He will have the men back to us safely before you even realize he is gone. You need to have faith in his ability to do the job. If he was not capable of it, he would not have been made Captain.”

Before Aiva could respond she heard a commotion arise somewhere on the deck, her attention diverted to where the sound was coming from, blood pulsing rapidly through her veins, adrenaline rising. An arrow was lodged firmly in the wooden floor, the men hurriedly moving away from the point of impact, shields raised. It had begun. The enemy had fired the first shot. A warning strike, no doubt. More were soon to follow and in quick succession. Soldiers rushed across the deck to the ballistae while others prepared their own bows, taking up defensive stances at the higher levels of the ship to gain a better vantage of the pirates.

Handing her a shield, Edric didn’t give Aiva a chance to decline, his hands fastening it securely to her arm. She watched him, making no attempt to stop him. “Wear this until the enemy ship is at our side. The volleys will stop then and you can focus on your blade. For now, humor me and try not to get hit.” There was a sternness in his tone that Aiva couldn’t remember having heard before. Many times he lectured her when she was younger but this was different. He gave no indication of implied superiority. Only a serious, almost desperate request of a friend. A brother. Without a word she nodded to him. Adhering to his request was the least she could do to ease his mind.

All around her the arrows began to fall. There was little to be done. She had no knowledge of how to utilize a bow with any accuracy and her sword was of no use at the range the battle held. Edric kept close to her side, shields raised to deflect the enemy weapons that came within their path. Every clatter of an arrow against Aiva’s shield sent a wave of chills down her spine. Loud clicks and splintering wood echoed around her. Surrounded by the sounds of war.

In between volleys Aiva found a moment to catch her breath, leaning over to Edric. Her head was in utter chaos. To think of the battle had been one thing. It was completely different to find herself there. Tiny nuances of their plan started to confuse her. Second-guessed by her unfocused mind. “Edric,” she asked loudly to be heard over the commotion on the deck. “Callum said our intent is to burn the enemy vessel once we have put enough distance between it and us. What is to stop them from setting us aflame before then?”

“Their goal will be to capture the ship as a trophy,” Edric brought his shield up again to deflect another stray arrow, “Sinking it will only be an option if they believe there is no other choice to guarantee victory.”

Somehow it made sense through her confusion. Eyes darting from one side to another, she could hear Callum’s voice shouting orders, unable to pinpoint his exact location. As long as he was talking, he was alive. It was the closest thing to comfort she could provide herself at a time like this. She didn’t understand every command he gave. The boarding party was getting into position. Were the pirates really so close? Inside her chest, the pounding of her heart intensified, an inescapably loud thud piercing through her head with every beat. She was afraid to look. The anticipation of the enemy approach was too overwhelming.

Forcing her eyes to starboard she could see the enemy ship along their side. They were so close that she could see the actions of the crew, bustling around the vessel to lay a gangplank across, allowing passage from one ship to the other. Men from both sides rushed into the fray, swords held high, metal clashing against metal in their valiant efforts to push the other back. In a burst of confidence she unfastened the shield from her hand, tossing it to the floor. The weight of it would only hinder her in battle. She needed to be fast. Agile. It was only a matter of seconds before the pirates would break through the frontline defenses and make their way onto the ship.

She watched in dismay at the sight of the pirates gaining the upper hand on the gangplanks, pushing the Vor’shai soldiers to retreat onto the ship. Their numbers were impressive. For a small vessel, Ireni managed to keep a strong crew. More than seemed necessary. But Ireni wasn’t a fool. She knew what she was up against in taking on a ship that carried the Royal Army of the Tanispan Queen.

Edric was quickly swept away by the approach of the pirates. He fought with skill and grace, his strength equal to that of the soldiers. Aiva had no chance to appreciate his technique. Her eyes were drawn to the familiar sight of a single woman moving confidently along the deck, brown eyes flashing with a hint of the Vor’shai energy. Never had Ireni looked so intimidating. Blonde hair blown about her face in the wind from under a black tricorne hat edged in gold embroidery to match the trim of her tailored jacket. White ruffles from her undershirt cascaded down the front of her chest. Thigh-high black leather boots covered her legs over her pants, gold buckles shining in the light of the afternoon sun. She walked with determined strides, the cutlass in her hand gripped tightly, tip pointed at Aiva in challenge.

“I was not finished with you, Princess.”

“And I was not finished with you,” Aiva retorted, unsheathing her sword to return Ireni’s challenge. Their swords rose into the air, aimed toward the other in preparation to strike.

To Aiva’s surprise the clash that followed was not from her own weapon. A larger figure of a man stood in front of her, creating a barrier between Aiva and Ireni. General Cadell stepped forward with even thrusts of his blade to cut off Ireni’s path. “You will have to go through me if you desire business with Princess Aiva,” he said coolly. Ireni’s laughter filled the air. Aiva recalled the sound from their encounter on Palinon, like chimes blown on a gentle breeze. So feminine for a woman who lacked all social grace.

“You must be the legendary General,” Ireni mused. Her cutlass moved with incredible speed, deflecting every strike Cadell directed at her. They continued in a constant flurry of motion, neither one leaving an opening to give advantage to the other. Aiva watched in stunned silence at the remarkable scene with a newfound respect for General Cadell. Ireni showed no sign of fatigue. With every lunge she seemed to grow stronger, her own surprise evident at Cadell’s every parry of her blade. “Based on your son’s clumsiness with a sword, I expected you to be an easy match. You’re not bad for an old man.”

This time it was Cadell who laughed. “You can only hope to live as long as I have, Esai.”

Footsteps along the deck pulled Aiva from her head, reminding her of the battle which continued to wage around her. Spinning to face whoever approached, she found herself face-to-face with a larger, barrel-chested man, his cutlass brandished high. She stumbled backward under the force of his initial strike, her sword lifted to block the blade. He was strong. There was no mistaking that. If she was going to overcome him in combat, she would need to use other advantages against him. His bulkiness would limit his speed. With a scrutinizing gaze she tried to size him up while parrying the incessant swing of his weapon. Technique didn’t appear to be something he possessed. Another advantage which might work to her benefit.

Despite her attempts to switch to an offensive stance Aiva was forced to maintain her defense, pushed back, directed by the pure strength of the man she fought. It was an exhausting fight. Her limbs ached, arms heavy from the constant motion, struggling to keep her grip on her sword. She found herself wondering if Cadell felt the same while he battled with Ireni. It was a stalemate. The man’s strength was no match for her speed though that only granted her the ability to block and counter with accuracy, any physical strike she attempted with her hands and feet doing nothing to slow him down while every blow he threw rocked Aiva to her core.