Carrion said, “You’re still planning to sail downwind?”
“I am unless you forbid me.”
“No, I just wanted to know so Tanner and I can spend some time looking for places archers can use for cover while providing clear lines of sight to any ship pulling alongside. If possible, we’d like to meet with the two archers Fisher brought aboard, too. Just us doing our own training,” Carrion said.
Captain Jamison shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’ll have them find you, but I assure you that your efforts will not be required. However, I do wish to broach another subject.”
They waited.
He said, “Your man, Devlin. Are you aware how young he is?” At Carrion’s nod, he continued, “And of course, you know that he is a Crab?”
“We do,” Carrion said.
“May I ask why and how he traveled across the Endless Sea to join you?”
Tanner glanced at Carrion and then said, “We have no idea. We’re not sure Devlin has ever heard the term, Crab.”
“In that case, when we are near Breslau I suggest he wear long sleeves, no matter how hot it may be. If he’s identified, and on this ship, all sorts of alarms will be raised.”
Carrion reached for another thick slice of cheese. “Speaking of alarms, how many alarms will ring when this ship sails into their waters?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Standing in the morning sun on the deck, Tanner watched the crew perform one drill after another. The deck still slanted to his left, or port, as sails were lowered and raised again. Slack from ropes that had already stretched from use were taken in, a new canvas cover sewn to protect the helmsman from the sun was cut from sparkling white canvas. Small ropes lashed it to the frame.
Twice he caught sight of Devlin high in the rigging moving about as if he had ten years of experience. The two archers arrived and introduced themselves. Both were ex-soldiers. One limped on a bad leg, and the other had taken an arrow in his chest and survived, but neither could march the distance required in King Ember’s army. However, they could pull longbows. Both were broad of chest, and their upper arms revealed the muscles required to be an archer for the King.
With their help, Carrion examined several places on the deck where an archer could stand and be protected from the weather and enemy. Together they each selected a place where they could stand and be out of the way of the sailors who would be rushing about their duties while under attack.
The ship was long and narrow. Instead of shoving its way through the water, it sliced. Finding the four places that were the best took time, but Tanner was satisfied as he heard the Captain shouting new commands and the ship veered off its course and the wind struck it from the other side. The deck now slanted the opposite way, and a few items slid across the deck to the derisive shouts of Fisher, the first mate.
The first to slide was a half-filled bucket of dirty water. It made it almost amid ship before spilling the contents. A paint scraper and a piece of a board followed.
Carrion motioned to all three to gather closer. He said, “That black ship may be waiting for us to make a turn. If so, she’ll be ahead, but probably won’t catch up with us until dark. They will use the black ship to hide, but we’re going to surprise them. We each have a place on each side of the ship.”
Tanner picked up when Carrion slowed. “I’ll tell you this once. I don’t want to waste our arrows by missing the ship and watching them fall into the water. I also don’t want that ship to know about us until they are almost ready to throw the grappling hooks and climb aboard. You will not let any arrows fly, and you will not let them see your longbows until they cannot escape. Do I make myself clear?”
Two broad smiles told him the archers liked what he said. Carrion said, “Rapid fire for the King is on a four count. We don’t need that. These ships can’t turn and escape so we have plenty of time to make our shots count.”
One of them asked, “Ten men on that ship?”
“Ten crewmen, a mate and probably two officers. Why?” Tanner said.
“From this close, if you two are any good, that is about three arrows each. If they attack us, they’ll be sorry.”
Carrion nodded and said, “I expect so. Just do not get too anxious to fire. When the first arrow flies they’ll know we’re more than babes. Get some rest. If that ship shows up, none of us will get any sleep tonight.”
The archers left for the crew's quarters. Captain Jamison continued running more drills so the new crew knew what to do. If they were slow, they did them again. The midday bell allowed half to head for the galley. Later the other half ate. After the meal, the Captain ordered the first mate to have the crew strip wood bare and paint it, all but the decks. They stayed bare wood and were scrubbed daily so they didn’t become slippery.
Near mid-afternoon, Captain Jamison’s inspections carried him to where Carrion and Tanner were standing at a rail. His voice was a little smug. “Well, no sign of the Far Seeker.”
“I hope it stays that way,” Carrion said.
“This is one of the best crews I’ve had the pleasure to command in some time. Fisher was wasted as a deckhand. I have to thank you for seeing his potential.”
Tanner said, “I think we’re going to try and get some sleep.”
“Up late last night?” The Captain asked with a grin.
“No, just want to be ready in case we’re up late tonight,” Tanner said.
They left him to patrol the deck. Both were asleep when a crewman knocked on their cabin door. When Tanner opened it the crewman’s eyes were a little too wide, as if scared. “The Captain sent me to tell you that black ship is ahead of us, and downwind.”
Tanner turned to Carrion, “Don’t tell him you said so.”
“No problem. Actually, Captain Brice is beginning to get under my skin. I noticed that none of the other captains had anything good to say about him at the Anchor Inn. I also heard a few rumors of him pirating cargo.”
“Well, this time, he wants the whole ship. All he has to do is take it and get rid of Captain Jamison and the crew, and he can claim he purchased it. Doing his dirty work with two ships would give him the ability to steal more,” Tanner said. “This is the only other fast sailing ship like this that’s still intact. Nothing can outrun it from what I hear.”
Carrion stretched and yawned. Then he stood and said, “Let’s go see what we have up there.”
They went to the small wheelhouse. Only the helmsman and Captain were inside, despite the nice weather. From there the black ship stood out on the horizon from the gray smudge that lined the water where it joined the air.
“Right where you said it would be,” Captain Jamison said, no longer gloating.
Carrion glanced at the sky, the positions of the two ships, and back at the Captain. “The Far Seeker has an angle on you. Unless you turn tail and sail back to Racine, it’s far enough ahead to intercept you no matter which way you go. If you remain on this course, that will be at around dusk, which is probably his plan.”
“If I change course, so will he. As you say, unless I turn and run he is positioned to intercept me, the only question is when.”
Tanner said, “Can you outrun him?”
“I doubt it. Same hulls. His is the more experienced crew, and he has added a little sail by adding taller masts a few years ago.”
Carrion said, “He expects you to run, you know. Open the gap. He’s timed his attack with that in mind. Turn directly at him.”
“Other than temporarily confuse him, what will that fix?”
“It’ll put doubt in his mind, and unless I’m mistaken, the sun will be almost behind us when it sets. Make sure you put the sun at our tail. If we reach him before dark, their crew will not see us. When my archers stand and fire, Captain Brice will have no idea of what’s happening. It gives us a temporary advantage, but we might put down a couple of their crew.”