A crewman ran to his side, “The Captain said to tell you he intends to keep them on his port.”
“Meaning we’ll pass the other ship on our left?”
“That’s what I said, right?”
“Just making sure,” Tanner smiled. As the other ship drew closer, the tingling on his back increased. The red dragon must sense Carrion’s fear and readiness to fight. And mine, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Tanner sat on a mushroom-shaped device at the bow. There were two of them, used to tie the ship to the pier when in port. The huge ropes were wrapped around them. When he crouched behind them, he would be safe.
When he stood with his bow, his surprise for them would be that his arrow would be ready to fly. They were expecting minimal opposition. As quickly as he found a target, the first arrow would be released and another fitted to the bowstring.
He anticipated getting off three arrows before ducking to safety. In the space of two breaths, he would loose three arrows. If only one stuck a target, and one from each of his archers, the fighting men of the Far Seeker was reduced by a quarter.
The wind had slackened and now only rippled the surface of the water. The Rose stood up straighter and moved at half the speed of earlier. There was little movement of the deck. He glanced behind and saw the other three archers in their positions. He was at the bow, and they’d take his lead. When he stood, so would they. There was no reason to speak or issue orders. All knew their duties.
He saw men on the other ship moving about. Most were either on the starboard side or heading there. Their starboard side would pass The Rose’s port. The Far Seeker was the faster ship. If Tanner were the captain, he would have chased The Rose until he caught her. Why was Captain Brice attacking from the bow?
Fear. The move was intended to create fear on The Rose. He was allowing them to see and understand he was going to take their ship. Brice would slash by them; the crew armed with bows of their own. They’d shoot so many arrows that a normal cargo ship would drop their sails and surrender. If they didn’t, Captain Brice would make a sharp turn and give chase, since his ship was the fastest on the sea. When Captain Brice caught up with them, grappling hooks would be thrown to draw The Rose close enough for his crew to board.
Captain Brice wanted to take The Rose intact. Tanner didn’t have the same objective. He would burn the Far Seeker and sink her. That difference could turn the battle.
“Steady,” he heard Captain Jamison call.
Tanner looked behind again. He saw no crewmen exposed. Then back to the other ship. He could make out individuals now. Even some of their dress. More than a few trimmed their black uniforms with red bandanas or red sashes around their waists. They appeared fierce.
Some shook blades of one sort or another in the air for the sunlight to glint off. Another scare tactic only. The blades would do nothing on the first pass, except to terrify a crew. Others held bows. Short bows half the size of the longbows Tanner and his people held. Of course, it took upper arm strength and practice to use a longbow.
Their bows made perfect sense—at other times. This time, things would be different. Tanner heard the shouting and taunting. The time was getting close. A few of the ten at the rail of the Far Seeker shielded their eyes from the sun.
Tanner had three arrows laid out in front of him where they would be easy to reach without looking. He knelt. An arrow was fitted and ready.
He tensed, but waited. Tanner quickly stood, noting the shock of surprise on the men no more than fifty paces away. Since he was at the bow, he took aim at the last in the row, thinking Carrion and the two archers would aim at those closest.
His arrow flew as he reached full height, but instead of watching where it landed, he reached for the next arrow. Without aiming, he used instinct to let it fly as he noticed that the first had struck its mark. The arrow stood out from the man’s chest, his hands clasping the shaft.
Tanner reached for the third, as the ship quickly slipped past. He fired after it, at the single man he saw still standing. It was Captain Brice.
The first part of the battle was over. He didn’t see if any of his other arrows struck their targets, and he didn’t see Captain Brice fall. He assumed he’d missed when the Far Seeker began a sharp turn.
It turned and took chase. Tanner almost smiled. The Far Seeker had expected an easy capture. At least one man took an arrow to his chest, and The Rose had fought back.
Captain Jamison held the course steady, directly for the main port in the Marlstones. The sun touched the horizon as they all let out collective sighs. A sailor ran to Tanner’s side. “Sir, the Captain wishes to know if you want flames for your bows.”
“Yes. Small bowls of oil, rags, and two men to light the arrows and hand them to us. All of us will be at the stern.” Tanner gave him a pat on his shoulder as the sailor raced to tell the Captain. Tanner moved down the deck to the first of the archers. “How’d you do?”
“The ship took a dip as I released my first. I only managed to put it in his leg.”
“Any others?”
“Can’t rightly say. I was busy trying to get them off before that ship went out of range.”
“I had one direct hit, so with yours, they’re down two. I’m going to talk to the others A sailor will bring oil, flame, and wrap them for you when it gets closer.”
“Yes sir, this is where that damned black learns what a longbow is for. I’ll put ten into her before she gets close enough for one of those little bows to reach to us.”
“Meet us on the stern.” Tanner gave him a slap on his shoulder as he went there next. The archer knew one of his, hit an arm, and he believed another hit a man’s stomach, but the man may have been ducking instead of being hit, it was impossible to be sure. Tanner passed on the information about the arrows and moved to where Carrion waited.
“How’d you do?” Tanner asked the men when all four were on the stern.
“Missed all three. My first went high when the ship shifted. The others were off the mark, too. What about you?”
“Between us, there are three definite hits, maybe one more. Two wounded and one dead, perhaps two,” Tanner explained, sounding proud of their success.
“Three men out of commission and they know we’re not going to roll over for them,” Carrion snarled. “Any chance of them turning away? No, I suppose not.”
Tanner explained where the oil and rags waited. Together they watched the black ship overtaking them. He ran to the wheelhouse and felt like saluting as he entered. The air was tense, the Captain checking on a hundred items as he prepared to defend his ship.
Tanner said, “They’ll plan to board. When that doesn’t work, they’ll shoot flaming arrows. Have your men standing by with buckets. They can fill barrels with seawater before the Far Seeker gets here.”
“What if they board us?” Captain Jamison said, a tremor betraying his fear.
“They won’t. We’ll take care of that. Have at least three or four men ready to run to the rail and cut the ropes to the grappling hooks. But I doubt if there will be any.”
“No? Why?”
“Numbers. At least three of them are already down. Maybe four. Someone has to steer the ship. That leaves only ten men at the most. Probably less. Not enough to board and fight.”
“We have a few more men, but they are not pirates who are used to fighting.”
Tanner shrugged. “Count to three slowly. In that space of time, I can put three arrows into three men at fifty paces. The distance will be less, and the other three archers are at least as good with a longbow as I.”