The long, slanting rays of the late afternoon sun angle through the mist, bathing the deck of the Reckoning in orange light. The dozen Tol Nedrans form a tight circle on the main deck, drawing their steel and shouting defiance. "All right, steady now!" their thuggish leader, Sorreg, shouts. "Take that skipper first, and the rest'll fall in line!"
Baj stands fast, rapiers glinting, and smiles with his canines showing, "That might be right, Sorreg, if you were going to live that long. It is my job to see that you do not."
For his part, Raven looks on the Tol Nedrans with contempt and rage at this betrayal. He has been courteous and calm up to now, but with the attack on Izmeralda, you see a transformation in him. He has no sword but looks furious enough to strangle them all with his bare hands.
Behind Rhyll, Izmeralda chokes on blood, and Benning crouches over her, blood staining his white robes.
Candra is right behind Baj, a broadaxe in her fist. Erris is at her shoulder, rapier already drawn.
The Tol Nedrans are in a desperate situation, their backs to the rail, and nowhere to retreat to but over the side. But they look like they intend to cut their way out of this.
Baj cocks his ear, "Captain Rhyll, we await your orders, sir."
Dacien circles to the left of the group of Nedri, his chain whistling softly as he spins it.
Rhyll snarls out as he points his sword at Raven's heart, "Take them down. Now!"
Baj leaps forward as if he had been launched from a scorpion, directing his attack directly at Sorreg.
The youth who threw the dagger at Izmeralda draws a hand crossbow from his cloak, aiming it at Rhyll. He has the pallid look of one under Vorghol sway. The others are armed with longswords, and lightly armored in leather jerkins.
Dacien jumps into the fray, looking for the youngster that injured Mera.
Talon swiftly draws his rapier. He strikes out like a cobra, aiming his sword at the Tol Nedran sailor who dared injure his cousin.
The youth is about to fire his crossbow at Rhyll, but Talon's swift blade impales him through the groin and he staggers forward, falling to his knees, then collapsing, the crossbow falling free. Raven stoops to pick it up, still loaded.
Rhyll points his sword at Raven and says, "Not so fast Captain."
Roaring in sheer panic at their terrible tactical situation, the Nedri charge, weapons swinging wildly.
Sorreg swings his massive spiked club in a high arc at Baj's skull. He connects with a terrible thumping sound. But Baj keeps coming on. Baj lets out a roar as Sorreg's club slams into his head and he lashes out with his rapiers.
Two more Tol Nedrans rush Rhyll, desperate to carry out their orders and seeing Rhyll pointing his sword at Raven. The two thrust their longswords at him, one high and one low. One Tol Nedran's hurried lunge takes Rhyll in the shoulder. Raven adds insult to injury by giving Rhyll a hard shove as he's attacked, then takes a step back, the crossbow still in his fist.
Dacien ducks past Talon with a smile and a nod, "Serves tha bastard right, Mister Talon." The Tobon picks a target and lashes out at Sorreg's back as the man attacks Baj.
Dacien's chain lashes Sorreg across the lower back. The big Tol Nedran grunts with the pain, but keeps battling.
Forgetting Raven for the moment, Rhyll lunges at the closer of his attackers.
Baj's rapiers flash left and right, and Sorreg's head is cut clear of his body. It spirals end over end, over the rail, into the green sea. His body falls forward, spewing blood, and collapses on the deck.
Dacien throws back his head and yells to the sky, "Gooooooooooooooooal!"
Baj slashes another soldier from groin to throat and kicks the man to the deck as he dies. He whirls into the remaining Nedri soldiers and buries both rapiers in the chest of another, pulling them free as he falls. He spins around and catches a soldier from behind, cutting the man's legs from his body. Baj slips slightly in the blood on the deck as he lunges for another soldier, but manages to plunge a blade through the man's gaping mouth, killing him instantly.
The Urag vents his rage in a fierce howl as he lashes out for another soldier. Baj again slips on the bloody deck, jamming a blade into a Nedri's chest but missing with the other.
Candra's broadaxe staves in the skull of Baj's last victim. She hurls the still twitching body over the rail.
Erris' rapier sinks into the heart of a young Tol Nedran. The redheaded bravo pulls the weapon free as his foe sinks to the deck.
Talon aims a head shot at one of the Tol Nedrans left standing.
Vendig's hook gouges the eye from another's face. The man shrieks in horror as Kell shoves his spear into the man's open, screaming mouth. The point emerges from his back and the screaming man is silenced forever.
Raven lifts the hand crossbow and squeezes off the bolt at the soldier who attacked Rhyll. The dart impales the man's neck and he collapses at Rhyll's feet.
Dacien watches Baj decimate the Nedri ranks and turns to assist Talon with his target.
Baj watches the last man fall and whirls to face Raven, weapons still at the ready, "Captain Rhyll, what shall we do with this 'Legend', sir?"
Raven throws the crossbow to the deck. He stares across the gulf between the ships to the Tol Nedran vessel.
Rhyll is already heading to Mera's side, Raven forgotten for the moment.
The Tol Nedran's crew are busy unfurling sails, weighing anchor, and turning hard to port. They appear to be readying to flee into the mist.
Raven regards the Urag with cold dark eyes. "Kill me. I've been dead for years."
Dacien kicks a Nedri body over the side and gestures for Erris to lend a hand, "Cap'n Rhyll, the Nedris are turning tail. We gonna give chase?"
Baj shakes his head, "Captain Rhyll gives the orders here."
Benning nods to Rhyll. "The Lady has smiled on her, Captain. She will live, but the harm is grievous."
Rhyll nods and says, "Thank to the Lady", then he turns to Baj and says, "Mister Mirko, I want that Nedri ship sunk to the bottom of sea. Give chase!"
Baj says, "Aye-aye, Captain!"
Baj becomes a whirlwind of action, shouting orders to hands everywhere aboard the ship, "Dacien! Full sail, now! Mister Revas, bring her about! Oojif! Get a bucket and wash this damn deck clean! Move!
Dacien leaps into the rigging, shouting orders as well, "Deeshon! Keep her in sight, lad, she's a prize for none but the Warrior now!"
Baj says, "Farlan! Ferlan! Run out the scorpions, locked and loaded!"
The Tol Nedran's sails block the sun a moment as the merchanter--slower and less agile than the Reckoning--spins and turns to flee. She is just out of scorpion range now, but the coils of mist and the diminishing late afternoon light may help cloak her if she does run. You can see the Nedri on board busily working, archers taking station in her tops, her scorpion ports sliding free.
Baj bounds up the ladder to stand at Revas' side, "Can we catch her?"
Rhyll turns his attention to Captain Raven and says, "Will you not even see to your own daughter's health Captain? Is that what working for the dark ones does to a man?"
Baj listens to the sounds of the ship coming to life beneath his feet, tearing a strip from his shirt to wipe the blood from his head and face before cleaning his blades and sheathing them.
The Reckoning's crew, ready themselves for action in response to Baj's shouted orders. Sails are unfurled, the scorpion crews running out the portside weapons.
Raven turns to Rhyll, the lanky man's handf balling up into a fist. He locks eyes with the younger Captain, looking like he intends to bash Rhyll's face in.
Revas says, "I'll do me best, Mister Mirko!" He turns the wheel hard over. "But what about the treasure?"
Deeshon calls down, "She's under way, Mister Mirko! She's bound north, out of the channel, f'r the open sea! But I sees her clear enough!"
Talon steps between the two and looks sternly into his uncles eyes. "Now is not the time. Lokks like you have a side to choose, I think you had better do it now uncle,"
Oojif stoops to check each Nedri body for anything useful or valuable. Then he dumps each body into the sea into the Reckoning's wake.
Baj shrugs, "I have a feeling that this lot would be waiting for us one way or another, Mister Revas. Best to deal with them on our terms rather than theirs."
Dacien waves a hand to the lookout, "Aye, Mister Deeshon!"
The Reckoning leans hard to port as Revas turns the mighty ship for pursuit. The Tol Nedran Renegade has a slight headstart, but she is no more than two scorpion shots away now, still in easy reach.
Raven glares at Talon. He slinks off to help Benning bear Mera below.
Rhyll asks Benning, "Is it safe to move her to my cabin Mister Benning?"
Benning says, "Aye sir." Without a look back, Raven takes the limp form of the woman in his arms and follows Benning down the short ladder.
Dacien slides nimbly down a mizzentopstay and catches a free sheet before lightly dropping to the deck next to Baj and Revas, "Sails set for pursuit, Mister Mirko."
Baj nods, "Aye-aye, Mister Nettleburr. Relay the Captain's thanks to the men, lad. And my own."
Cleaning his hook, Vendig mutters to Baj, "Sun'll be down soon, Baj. Best we catch 'em afore the bloodsuckers are set loose..."
Rhyll heads up to the wheel.
Talon follows Raven and Benning.
Baj spits vehemently over the railing, "I would rather face them in battle than take their heads while they sleep, but I grant your point."
Revas, at the great wheel, says to Rhyll, "Need more sheets, sar!"
Rhyll calls out the order to raise more sails.
Dacien turns and yells into the tops, "Put on the topsl's, give 'er all ye've got!"
Rhyll says, "Will we catch her Master Revas?"
Revas wipes sweat from his brow and says, "She's got a jump on us, sar. Like I told Mister Mirko, I'll do me best. There's Vorghol on her, innit there, sar?"
Rhyll says, "Aye there is."
Revas gulps, concerned, frightened even. "Right, sar, we'll catch 'em."
Dacien makes the sign of The Lady and mutters under his breath.