New Post has been published on microcerpt
New Post has been published on http://microcerpt.com/blog/2015/03/in-defence-of-the-crown-on-deck/
In Defence of the Crown - On Deck
Upon exiting the confines of the ship’s interior, Aiden was immediately welcomed by the fresh breeze, laden with the unique, salty tang of the sea. Despite his unsteadiness, Aiden realised the captain had been correct – the conditions were nearly perfect, and they couldn’t have asked for a better start to the short voyage.
The crew were kept busy managing the intimidating array of ropes and pulleys that held the sails in check, and didn’t pay much heed to the unsteady young man as he made his way out onto the deck. He took a firm hold of the mizzen mast, trying not to fall over as the ship swayed gently beneath his feet. For a solid five minutes he stood there, ostensibly to enjoy the air and the scenery. In reality, he was afraid of stumbling on the deck and appearing foolish before these seasoned sailors.
The helm was under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Masterson. Aiden’s attention, however, was caught by the two ballistae positioned on either side of the deck – massive, oversized crossbows that fired spear-like projectiles with tremendous force.
These were, in fact, the very weapons the crew of Redoubtable had used to engage the dragon over Culdeny, with remarkable results. Looking up at the countless yards of rope and sail, Aiden realised that if it had wanted to, the monster could have destroyed the ship with one blast of fire, and he knew the captain must have understood that too.
“Afternoon, Mister Wainwright,” a sailor remarked to him, appearing next to the young man as if by magic. Aiden recognised him as Woulfe, the man who had shown Pacian and himself to their cabin. He had slender features, though the dark stubble on his chin offset that, giving him a more rugged appearance. Sharp green eyes scrutinized the deck around him, and a bandana of cloth helped keep his wild dark hair in check. Like all the other sailors on board, he was wearing baggy trousers and a heavy brown tunic to ward off the chill.
“Shouldn’t you be saying ‘ahoy thar matey’, or some such?” Aiden replied with a half-smile on his face.
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you,” Woulfe replied laconically. “That’s all a bunch of heresay, actually. People talk the way they were raised, you know? Pleased to meet you. The name’s Ronan Woulfe.” Aiden shook his hand, being careful to steady himself with his other arm on the mast. “I noticed you admiring our ballista,” Ronan continued. “If you gotta take on a dragon, I can’t think of a better weapon.”
“More than that, it was accurate shooting, too,” Aiden complimented.
“You were the shooter?” Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of the aft starboard station, yeah,” Ronan clarified. “The thing about dragons, is they’re big. Pretty hard to miss, really – all you gotta do is aim where they’re gonna be.”
“It’s still an impressive feat.”
“Woulfe, you’re not being paid to stand around chatting, get back to work this instant,” Lieutenant Masterson barked.
“Aye aye sir,” Ronan answered, still in the same laconic tone he’d used while talking to Aiden as if he wasn’t in a hurry, or being yelled at by an officer. The sailor leapt up the mizzen mast that Aiden was leaning against and scurried up the rigging, as the executive officer approached.
“Good afternoon, Mister Wainwright,” he greeted him. “Did you manage to get some rest?”
“Not as much as I would have liked,” Aiden sighed.
“Well, you’ll soon settle in, though I daresay you won’t be aboard long enough to get used to the motion of the ship.”
“A pity, I think I’m starting to understand the appeal of the sea,” Aiden mused, looking out over the expanse of blue water before him.
“As well you might,” Masterson replied, smiling for the first time since Aiden had met him. “I tell you, there’s nothing quite as soul-stirring as a sunrise on a clear morning at sea. The way the light filters through the fog in shafts of heavenly rays… it’s really quite breathtaking.”
“Sail ahoy!” a man yelled from the crow’s nest, high above the main deck on the tallest mast. Masterson, previously standing about in a casual manner, suddenly became alert.
“Where away?” he called back to the lookout.
“Port quarter aft, sir!” came the shouted response. Aiden looked in a random direction, unsure where he was referring to, while Masterson pulled out a small metal tube from his longcoat and strode over to the rail. Aiden promptly joined him, hoping nobody notied he had been looking in the wrong direction. Masterson had the metal tube up to his left eye, and Aiden realised it was aiding his vision.
“Is there a problem?” he asked the officer.
“Difficult to make out details at this distance, even with this useful contraption,” Masterson replied absently, “but she could be a merchantman out of Brigham, in the Rael islands. I doubt it would be an enemy vessel this far from Tulsonite waters, especially considering their recent defeat.”
“What about pirates?” Aiden asked, drawing a look of condescension from the officer.
“A pirate caravel is hardly going to be giving chase to a ship of His Majesty’s navy, Mister Wainwright,” he admonished. Aiden shrugged, feeling somewhat foolish, and resolved not to speak of naval matters again unless he really knew what he was talking about.
“So, what is your plan?” he asked of the young officer.
“Given the nature of our precious cargo, I’m not going to take any chances,” Masterson said. “I doubt we can outrun them in our current state, but should an opportunity arise in the next twelve hours to lose them in fog, I shall do so, just to be safe.”
In Defence of the Crown (The Aielund Saga Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
By (author): Stephen L. Nowland
Kindle Edition: Check Amazon for Pricing Digital Only