Episode Five 

Escape 

“It’s no good,” Hollis said. The smaller ship was gaining quickly, its bow slicing through the water with the precision of a blade. “We can push north along the coast with this wind at our back, but in this shallow water we’re no match for a Rotani vessel in a straight race.”

“And heading back out to deeper waters might be pushing our luck,” Razian said.

Hollis nodded. “I doubt the rest of the lads will be keen on heading back out to sea.”

“So the choice is made, then?” Dynan stroked his chin with a chuckle. “Sounds good to me. I’d rather face an enemy that stays down when I hit him. How many weapons do you boys have on this ship?”

“A handful at best,” Hollis confessed. “Knives, mostly. Some axes. But we usually use them against wood or rope, not flesh. These lads aren’t fighters.”

Razian stared across at the coast as they sailed past. The land lay perhaps a quarter-mile from the ship, and the terrain looked rugged, dotted with numerous scrub trees and tall, dry grass. In the distance, low foothills rolled toward the horizon.

“It doesn’t look very hospitable out there,” Razian observed. “What if we dumped some of the ship’s cargo? Would they leave us be?”

“I doubt it,” Dynan replied. “I think our supplies are a secondary interest for them. It’s us they want. From what I’ve seen of them in battle, they tend to focus on whatever’s making them angry.”

Hollis slapped his palm against the railing. “What in blazes did we do to anger them?”

“Well, we’re in their territory,” Dynan replied with a shrug. “I told you they don’t like outsiders.”

Razian gave Dynan a long look before turning back to Hollis. “Can you lower the longboat without slowing the ship?”

The heavyset man looked confused. “Aye, we could. If we secure some runners and unhook the tackles, we—“

“Have your men get it done. In the meantime, I’ll need a few days’ worth of food from your stores.” Razian turned before the man could speak and headed below deck. Dynan exchanged baffled expressions with the new captain, and then hurried down the stairs.

*

“Hold up there, boy,” Dynan said as he caught up to Razian. “Just what are you planning?”

Razian knelt to retrieve a leather pack from the floor, then slung it over his shoulder and motioned for Dynan to follow him. “I’m going to see if I can anger some Rotani.”

The men descended another set of stairs to the ship’s hold. Crates and drums filled the space, accompanied by assorted bags that hung from the walls and ceiling. Razian stood his spear against a stack of crates and moved amongst the cargo until he found an open drum, and then rummaged through his pack until he produced an empty waterskin.

“Well, that’s mighty heroic of you,” Dynan said as Razian filled the skin with water from the drum. “So you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart?”

“Either I do this, or everyone on the ship dies, including me.” Razian placed the stopper back in the waterskin and returned it to his pack. “If the grace of the Immortals is with me, I may be able to elude the Rotani until nightfall.”

“You’ll need nothing short of divine intervention if you plan to hide from that lot in their own lands. More likely you’ll have a very messy fight on your hands.”

“You sound a bit jealous,” Razian said with a slight smirk. “Are you saying you’d like to come with me?”

“Hard to fight without a sword,” the old mercenary said, spreading his arms.

Razian thought for a moment, then arched an eyebrow. “How about an axe?”

                               *

“Knives, too,” Dynan spread his arms wide. “Lots of ‘em. As many as you can give me.”

Hollis nodded and shouted orders to his men. The sailors disappeared below deck, only to return a few moments later with bundles of cloth in their arms, which they unrolled to reveal four axes and nearly two-dozen knives.

Dynan knelt and quickly examined each weapon, testing their tips with his thumb. The blades were worn, their metal chipped and dull, and he separated them into two groups. He rose with a sigh and gestured to the smaller group of knives. “These seven will work. The rest are in poor shape.”

“Take what you need,” Hollis offered. “If you two succeed, we’ll owe you our lives. If you don’t, then those won’t help much anyway.”

To the rear, the Rotani ship had drawn close enough that the angry shouts of its sailors now reached the deck of the Undaunted. The threatening calls and insults inspired each man to work faster, and they soon had the longboat suspended just off of the Undaunted’s port side.

Razian approached the boat, then paused and glanced at Hollis uncertainly. “So we climb in now, then?”

“Aye,” Hollis agreed. “We’ve rigged the runners so that the two of you can lower her yourselves. Once you’re clear, you lads will have to set the oars and pull for land as fast as you can. You won’t have much of a lead on that ship, and she’s got a small draft, so she can get closer to shore than we can.”

Razian nodded and placed his spear and pack in the longboat. With the steadying hands of one of the crew supporting him, he climbed over the railing and into the small boat. Dynan was close behind, dropping a pair of cloth bundles into the boat before climbing in. The two men looked at one another for a moment as they each took hold of one of the ropes holding the boat.

“All right, gently lads,” Hollis called over the side of the ship. “Start easing those runners away, and when you’re low enough, let ‘em go.”

The longboat slowly descended toward the water below. Razian looked down at the small waves rolling beneath him until the taunts and cries from the Rotani vessel drew his gaze. Sunlight glinted off of the dozen weapons being brandished aboard the small ship.

Razian and Dynan looked at one another as the lifeboat came to within a few feet of the water. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” the sell sword said.

“I do. I hope.” An uneasy smile pulled at Razian’s lips. “We’ll know when we hit the water.”

With a shared nod, the two men released the ropes and dropped.