Runefell: Crossroads Read online

  “No, Mr. Greythorn,” Ariella answers, now sounding a bit annoyed, “but I suppose you do?”

  “I have heard a few things, Captain,” Fernando replies, “and if what I have heard is true, then I am only asking for you to allow me to claim something that rightfully belongs to me.”

  “We will discuss your request over lunch later this afternoon,” Ariella says, “but for now, Mr. Greythorn, I ask that you earn your passage on this ship.” She grabs a mop and hands it to him. The crew starts to laugh. It is Allen now, who has a big smile on his face. Ariella then says. “I assume you know how to swab a deck, Mr. Greythorn. If you do not, ask Mr. Allen.” she turns and walks off leaving Fernando holding the mop as the crew still laughs.

  Later that afternoon, Fernando is still swabbing the deck. The crew watches him somewhat amused. Allen looks at him with and says. “You missed a spot.” They both laugh a bit.

  Fernando asks Allen, “So, Allen, what made you decide to join this ship's crew?”

  Allen ponders the question for a moment then answers, “Well, my village was attacked by the orcneas right before the second Orcnea War began. My parents were both killed. I was only seven and I was sent to stay with my uncle in South Haven. I remained there until last year when the Red Dawn stopped for supplies. I asked one of them if they were looking for any new crew members. The Captain heard me ask and said she could use me. My uncle wasn't going to let me go but, the Captain...” Allen pauses and thinks back to Ariella with her glowing hand around his uncle's neck. “Let's just say she persuaded him. Anyway, that was when I joined her crew.”

  Ariella comes down the stairs and approaches them. “Mr. Greythorn, would you please join me for lunch?”

  “Of course, Captain,” Fernando says. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Ariella looks around at the freshly swabbed deck and says, “Looks like you did a fine job on the deck, Mr. Greythorn.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Fernando says as he places the mop in the bucket.

  Then she looks at Allen's side with disapproval. She walks up to Allen and says quietly to him, “If I didn't know better, Mr. Allen, I would say that you didn't even try. That is not like you, Allen. Are you feeling well?”

  “Yes, Captain,” Allen says, looking down. “I will do better, Captain.”

  “See that you do, Allen,” Ariella replies. She turns and says to Fernando, “Come, Mr. Greythorn, we have matters to discuss.”

  Ariella and Fernando walk away as Allen puts his mop in his bucket. Frustrated, he kicks the bucket, knocking it over.

  “Easy there,” Drake says. “Allen, are you alright?”

  “Yes,” Allen answers as he closes his eyes.

  “Are you sure?” Drake asks, looking at the deck. “If you ask me I'd say you were upset with something or someone.”

  Allen picks up the mop and as he begins to clean up the water he just dumped he says to Drake, “I am not mad at anyone in particular, Drake. I am just...” he stops himself unsure how to explain. “I don't know,” he says as he cleans up his mess.

  “Are you jealous of Greythorn?” Drake asks.

  “No!” Allen protests. Then looking down he says, “Well, maybe kind of. I don't know. He is a really nice guy.”

  “Yes, he is,” Drake says. “Almost too nice.”

  “I can't explain it. Ever since he has been aboard, the Captain has been...”

  “A lot nicer,” Drake finishes.

  They both laugh a little and Allen says, “I don't know. I guess it shouldn't bother me.”

  “I think I know what you mean,” Drake says. He looks around to see if anyone is nearby. Then he says quietly to Allen, “You know, the new word is that you and Miss Marie may have something going on.”

  Allen smiles and says, “How do you know about that?”

  Drake says, “You know how fast news spreads on the Red Dawn.”

  “I guess,” Allen replies as he finishes cleaning his mess.

  “So maybe you should be happy Greythorn is on board,” Drake says. “Otherwise the Capt'n may not let you play with her.”

  “I don't know what you are talking about,” Allen says as he empties the bucket of dirty water over the rail.

  “I don't mean to embarrass you,” Drake says. “We all know how the Capt'n treats you, and we all know that you like it.”

  “I am done with this conversation,” Allen says as he goes below deck.

  Drake follows him to the stairs. “Hey, Allen! Should we get Marie a whip too?” He yells down and laughs.

  Allen closes his eyes and clinches his fist. After taking a moment to calm himself Allen walks off.

  Fernando and Ariella are having lunch in her personal quarters. She says to Fernando, “So, Mr. Greythorn, what exactly do you mean when you say that a part of this treasure belongs to you?”

  Fernando looks up from his plate. He looks at Ariella and asks, “Captain, what do you know about this treasure besides that it is your fathers?”

  “I know that it is from a time before I was born,” Ariella replies. “My father split up the treasure after they rescued me from a ship that was attacked by orcneas. He then hid his portion of the treasure. He put the map in care of the Goblin Trade Company. After my father was killed, the instructions that he left them were clear. They contacted me to inform me that they had the map and all I needed to do was come and retrieve it. This all went according to plan until you, Mr. Greythorn, stole my father's map that was intended for me. So now tell me, what is your stake in this?”

  “I will, but first you said that your father rescued you from orcneas? Was that ship named the White Feather?”

  “Yes, Mr. Greythorn, I assume you already know that my father, Red Beard, is not my father by blood.”

  “Since you are not a dwarf, I assumed it was either that or you were half dwarf.”

  “Well let me enlighten you,” Ariella explains, “Red Beard is not my real father. He did, however, save me when my mother's ship was attacked by orcneas. You see, my father, Red Beard, came across the White Feather in distress after an orcnea attack. When the crew of the Red Dawn arrived they killed the orcneas and searched the ship for survivors. My mother was alive but badly wounded. My father healed her as much as he could, but as you may be aware, Mr. Greythorn, healing spells become less and less effective when cast more than once on the same wounds.”

  “Yes,” Fernando replies. “I am aware of that.”

  Ariella continues her story, “He was able to heal my mother, but not completely. She was pregnant with me at the time, and she was still weak from her injuries when she began to give birth. My mother lost even more blood and though my father tried everything he could think of, he could not save her. She died giving birth to me, Mr. Greythorn.”

  “I am so sorry,” Fernando says sadly.

  “The dwarf you call Red Beard, delivered me and raised me as his own. I became the only survivor of the White Feather,” she explains. “The ship eventually sank as it was too badly damaged.” Ariella walks over and opens a small jewelry box on her desk and pulls out a locket. “This, Mr. Greythorn, is all I have from my mother. Red Beard tried to find my real father but had no luck.”

  “I am very sorry for your loss,” Fernando says. “I, too, lost someone on the White Feather. My father was on that ship when it was attacked. He had a sword that was bound to him by magic. While the sword is very powerful it will only serve someone of Greythorn blood. It is my hope that somewhere in your father's treasure is my family's sword.”

  “I am beginning to understand you, Mr. Greythorn. If your family's sword is a part of my father's treasure, you may have it.”

  “Thank you, Ariella,” Fernando says seductively.

  Ariella looks at him sternly and says, “Mr. Greythorn, while I admire your persistence, you will still address me as either Captain or ma'am. Do you understand me?”

  Fernando smiles and says, “Yes, ma'am. You can't blame a man for trying though.”

  Ari
ella smiles and says, “I suppose not.”

  “I do have another question however. If I may ask.”

  “What is it, Mr. Greythorn?”

  “Well, I was wondering, after you took over the Red Dawn a year ago, why did you never dock at Sheathelm and search for Chance?”

  Ariella is thrown off by the question. She takes a drink from her mug and explains, “Mr. Greythorn, you have to understand that I have spent half my life making sure that no man would ever steal my heart again. Until yesterday I never knew the truth about why I never heard from Chance. There was I moment that I almost set sail for Sheathelm, but when you spend half your years living a lie it is hard to let go.”

  “I understand,” Fernando says as he takes a drink. He then asks, “So your feelings for him...?”

  “Are none of your concern,” Ariella says coldly.

  Up in the crow’s nest of the Red Dawn the lookout spies a dark thundercloud ahead. Bolts of lightning are flashing in the concentrated cloud. He calls down, “Storm ahead!” He rings the bell to alert the crew.

  The crew runs to the railings and look off into the distance. Most of the men are nervous, while a few, like Drake and Leon, remain calm.

  Torgus, who is sitting down below in his quarters, is in a meditative state. With incense burning around him he suddenly opens his eyes and says, “Orcneas.”

  Fernando and Ariella look at each other when the bell sounds. They immediately stand up and head for the door. Marie enters the room from the stairway and nervously asks. “What is it, Captain?”

  Ariella opens her door and looks though the officer's quarters. Outside she can see the dark clouds. She turns and says to Marie, “It looks like a strong storm. Stay inside—do you understand me?”

  Marie nods her head then returns to the other room closing the door behind her.

  Ariella and Fernando leave the cabin and walk out onto the deck to see the dark storm approaching from the horizon, unaware of the true danger inside.

  Chapter 8

  Eye of the Storm

  The waves of the oncoming storm crash against the Red Dawn. The crew is getting soaked with the raging sea. Rain now starts to pour down and visibility is almost completely gone.

  Ariella and the crew stare off into the dark storm. Torgus comes up from below deck and makes haste to the Captain's side. He yells over the roar of the storm, “Captain! This is no ordinary storm. I think these are orcneas we are dealing with.”

  “Are you sure?” She asks, yelling over the wind.

  “Yes, captain, I sense them close by.”

  Ariella calls down to Drake, “Prepare everyone for battle. Now!”

  Drake nods and starts to make his way around the ship warning everyone.

  Leon looks at Allen and says, “Where's your weapon, boy?”

  Allen looks up at Leon then turns and makes his way down below. Squeezing through the men as they make their way through the narrow passage, Allen finally makes it to his hammock. Underneath there is a chest. Allen opens it and pulls out a short sword. He nervously looks at it before closing the chest and returning topside.

  “Can you see them through the storm?” Ariella asks Torgus.

  “Yes, I can,” Torgus answers, “but I'll have to cast the spell to do it!” Torgus closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them once more they are glowing with blue light. He looks out into the tempest and says, “Captain, they are right there.” He points off the port bow.

  Just then a large bolt of lightning hits the ship. This bolt does not come from above. Instead it comes from the direction from which Torgus had pointed. Splinters of wood explode from where the bolt strikes. Two men are thrown from the explosion and land unconscious on the deck.

  The rest of the crew scatters as lighting from the storm lights the sky. For the first time the crew can see the silhouette of the larger orcnea ship. It slowly comes into view as grappling hooks fly in and attach to the railing of the Red Dawn. Now tied together, the ships are brought closer by the grappling lines.

  “Here they come!” Ariella calls out to the crew.

  The two ships collide and the jolt sends some of the crew to their knees. Torgus, who can see clearly through the rain, studies the enemy ship. The large ship with three masts is bigger in size than the Red Dawn. As typical of orcnea ships the rough design may not make it the fastest or most maneuverable, but it is tough. Torgus holds out his hands before him and magically forms a large stone that when released will become a deadly projectile.

  Drake wipes rain from his bald head then stands defiantly in the storm griping his sword tightly. Allen with his short sword looks on nervously. Then suddenly an area over the front port side of the ship starts to crackle with sparks of lightning. Torgus yells to the crew standing in the area, “Spark storm! Get out of there!” A few of the crew leap out of the affected area to safety. Leon is not as fortunate and is shocked several times. He turns to flee as an orcnea throws a spear striking him in his right shoulder. This causes Leon to fall to his knees. The spark storm continues to shock those who are caught within its range. Several others collapse and fall, but Leon continues to try to crawl to safety.

  Allen watches for a moment, then sheaths his sword and runs into the electrical field. Ariella yells, “Allen! Don't!” but her warning is too late. Allen runs in and tries to help Leon up. Every moment in this zone seems to hurt the men, but Allen continues to push himself past the pain. The weight of Leon becomes too much for Allen to bear and they both start to falter.

  Ariella casts a spell and a blue glow passes over her body. She runs into the crackling air and assists Allen in carrying Leon to safety. The Captain, now immune to the effects of the lightning, returns to the spell zone and begins to drag others to safety. She then stops and stares over at the other ship. She spots two orcnea shamans with their hands out in front of them. The palms of their hands are glowing with magical energy. Figuring that they are the ones behind the spark storm, she yells out, “Torgus! Take out those shamans.” With that, she concentrates on a spell of her own. She creates a large fireball in her hands and takes aim at one of the orcneas.

  The orcnea shaman responsible for the spark storm pauses in his ritual casting and looks with great fear as Ariella releases the fire ball right at him. He ducks for cover and the fireball misses, but the spark storm quickly disappears.

  Torgus releases his spell at the other shaman. A scull size rock is hurled towards the orcnea. Even though this shaman also ducks for safety, it does him little good as Torgus was aiming at the ship's deck where the orcnea stood. The wood of the orcnea ship splinters and explodes as the speeding rock slams into it. The force of the impact sends the enemy flying.

  Two more orcnea shamans charge electrical bolts, and throw them at the Red Dawn. The ship is now getting bombarded by the spells. Through it all the crew of the Red Dawn stands ready for combat, however no orcneas ever attempt to board the ship.

  Ariella yells to Torgus, “Catch those bolts, Torgus. They are tearing our ship apart!”

  Torgus waits for the next bolt of lightning to come his way. It does not take long before an orcnea casts another spell at the deck of the Red Dawn. The spell is intended to hit right next to Torgus. He quickly moves his hands and pulls the lighting to him. Though it is a dangerous spell to attempt, Torgus has successfully caught the orcnea's lightning bolt in his hands and holds it as he prepares to fire it back. The shaman that cast it yells out something in orcneish. Torgus then aims the spell at the attacking ship and launches it. The impact damages the orcnea ship, and the shamans stop casting their spells.

  For a few moments only the sound of the raging storm fills the air. Allen escorts Leon to the far side of the ship. When they reach the stairs to the quarter deck Leon sits down on the stairs. Allen checks on the spear stuck in Leon's shoulder.

  “How bad is it?” Leon asks.

  “I don't know,” Allen replies. “Torgus will have to look at it.”

  Waiting in the middle of t
he deck Fernando holds a sword in each hand and watches the edge of the ship for any signs of movement. Suddenly the brief reprieve is broken with the sound of the loud war-cry of orcneas as they charge over the railings onto the deck of the Red Dawn.

  High in the storm above, Chance flies in eagle form as fast as he can through the vortex of clouds. Diving strait down to gain more speed, he finds he is unable to see very far ahead. He slows his descent to match his speed to that of the falling rain around him. With the rain no longer getting in his eyes he can see much more clearly.

  Looking down he sees the two ships locked in combat. Orcneas are charging across to the deck of the Red Dawn as the melee is just getting underway. He descends as he watches Drake waste no time in spilling the orcneas' blood. Using all his strength Drake uses his sword to carve into one orcnea after another. A short distance away Fernando and Ariella are side by side. As orcneas try to approach them they easily parry the attacks and strike back at them. Chance then looks at the orcnea ship. He watches as the shamans begin to shoot their bolts of lightning at the Red Dawn again. He dives right for one of them and pulls up at the last moment while he transforms back into his elven form. The shaman turns quickly to face him, but he is not fast enough to dodge the two large jets of flame that shoot out of Chance's hands. Before the orcnea has time to react, Chance engulfs him in fire. The orcnea howls in pain and falls back over the railing and down onto the lower deck where he crashes through a table. Two orcneas near the table look up, and when they spot Chance, they start to head his way.

  On the Red Dawn Ariella is locked in combat. Through the chaos she is able to see an orcnea heading into the officers’ quarters and towards her cabin. Looking around she finds only Allen nearby. “Allen!” she calls. Allen looks up from assisting Leon and sees the captain pointing to the now open cabin door. “Help Marie!”