Rakka’li woke to Akkhi shaking him insistently. He sat up quickly and gave her a long bleary stare before he remembered where he was.
The look on her face was not nearly as alarming as the tilt of her ears.
“Someone hurt that bad?†Rakka’li asked as he swung his legs over the cot and reached for his shirt. The light coming in from the porthole told him it was mid-morning, and misty at that.
Akkhi’s lips pressed into a firm anxious line as she shook her head, “No, worse. Clipper coming fast, sitting high with oars out. Wind is shite so they’ll be on us soon. Can you fight?â€
He paled slightly, Rakka’li hated fighting. A friend some time back had done her best to teach him but he was a passable student at best with a knife, he’d come to rely on his Conjury instead, not that he had too often.
“...ye,†he murmured as he finished pulling his shirt over his head and reached for his stave. “Conjury can be used te kill too.â€
Akkhi relaxed slightly at that, probably hoping that Rakka’li was something of a battle magus. He could be if pressed, but it wasn’t like he’d had a lot of experience. Additionally a prolonged fight would deplete him, and if someone were hurt while his aether reserves recovered it could end badly for them.
“C’mon, I want you with me.†She turned, Rakka’li following after scrambling into his robe.
On deck the sailors moved quickly in preparation, all knowing their place and experienced at it. Axes, knives, and sabers were brought from below decks, there were even a few bows. Crews readied the few cannon the vessel bore as others wet the deck, in case of fire Rakka’li suspected.
His attention was drawn back to Akkhi, who stood beside him calmly loading a pistol the likes of which he’d not seen before. It had two barrels. Rakka’li had seen pistols in action only once before, and he hated everything about them. There was simply something wrong about killing someone so easily.
However, he was hardly interested in discouraging its use here.
“Where’d ye get that?†He asked as she finished up.
“Does it matter? I’m glad for it either way.†Her eyes were fixed on the approaching vessel as four of her best took up arms around her. Rakka’li recalled her telling him she didn’t often come on voyagers herself unless she’d business to attend to at the destination, but when she had to she took few chances.
Rakka’li wanted to press her for details, but she immediately set on a discussion of tactics with a tall highlander woman called Hariet, one of Akkhi’s trusted toughs. The woman’s body was beset by scars that she had no problem showing off whenever she could. They told of a life of experience Rakka’li was glad to have not shared.
“Bad word?†He asked, after Hariet had turned away to shout something at a group of sailors.
“Damn clipper’s too fast to line up our shots, it’s goin’ to weave its way to us and not come alongside until we’re brushin’ elbows,†she grumbled, squinting at the distant ship with one hand held flat above her eyes. It was a little bright out here for the two of them, despite the mist.
Rakka’li could not speak to the experience of the crew, as he was a layman himself when it came to the sea. But true to her word the two ships snaked a path across the seas, the clipper always behind them, out of range of the guns, and gaining.
Half a bell passed, with them still a ways off. It was then that Rakka’li realized he’d left his knife below. He murmured that he’d return quickly, and Akkhi asserted he damn well better. He smiled as he felt her eyes on his back. So like mother.
The knife he found quickly, buried in his satchel. He used to carry it in his boot, but a peaceful life in the Wood had made him lax. Sliding the blade out and getting the grip right came as easily as Deirdre taught him all those moons ago. He touched his thumb to the edge.
Still sharp. The little sheath slipped round his belt easily too.
Akkhi beckoned him over when he came back topside even though he was clearly headed her way. The ship had gained fast in his moment of absence.
“Not much longer, you goin’ te be alright?â€
He shrugged, “Got my knife and my spellery, and I ain’t fearful of usin’ either.â€
She nodded, grim.
Akkhi had said ‘not much longer’, but it was short, tense, eternity before the ship finally got close enough for a look at who was on deck.
“Gods be good, slavers.â€
Rakka’li didn’t know who’d said that, but he didn’t doubt it by the look of them. They looked every bit the part.
The look on her face was not nearly as alarming as the tilt of her ears.
“Someone hurt that bad?†Rakka’li asked as he swung his legs over the cot and reached for his shirt. The light coming in from the porthole told him it was mid-morning, and misty at that.
Akkhi’s lips pressed into a firm anxious line as she shook her head, “No, worse. Clipper coming fast, sitting high with oars out. Wind is shite so they’ll be on us soon. Can you fight?â€
He paled slightly, Rakka’li hated fighting. A friend some time back had done her best to teach him but he was a passable student at best with a knife, he’d come to rely on his Conjury instead, not that he had too often.
“...ye,†he murmured as he finished pulling his shirt over his head and reached for his stave. “Conjury can be used te kill too.â€
Akkhi relaxed slightly at that, probably hoping that Rakka’li was something of a battle magus. He could be if pressed, but it wasn’t like he’d had a lot of experience. Additionally a prolonged fight would deplete him, and if someone were hurt while his aether reserves recovered it could end badly for them.
“C’mon, I want you with me.†She turned, Rakka’li following after scrambling into his robe.
On deck the sailors moved quickly in preparation, all knowing their place and experienced at it. Axes, knives, and sabers were brought from below decks, there were even a few bows. Crews readied the few cannon the vessel bore as others wet the deck, in case of fire Rakka’li suspected.
His attention was drawn back to Akkhi, who stood beside him calmly loading a pistol the likes of which he’d not seen before. It had two barrels. Rakka’li had seen pistols in action only once before, and he hated everything about them. There was simply something wrong about killing someone so easily.
However, he was hardly interested in discouraging its use here.
“Where’d ye get that?†He asked as she finished up.
“Does it matter? I’m glad for it either way.†Her eyes were fixed on the approaching vessel as four of her best took up arms around her. Rakka’li recalled her telling him she didn’t often come on voyagers herself unless she’d business to attend to at the destination, but when she had to she took few chances.
Rakka’li wanted to press her for details, but she immediately set on a discussion of tactics with a tall highlander woman called Hariet, one of Akkhi’s trusted toughs. The woman’s body was beset by scars that she had no problem showing off whenever she could. They told of a life of experience Rakka’li was glad to have not shared.
“Bad word?†He asked, after Hariet had turned away to shout something at a group of sailors.
“Damn clipper’s too fast to line up our shots, it’s goin’ to weave its way to us and not come alongside until we’re brushin’ elbows,†she grumbled, squinting at the distant ship with one hand held flat above her eyes. It was a little bright out here for the two of them, despite the mist.
Rakka’li could not speak to the experience of the crew, as he was a layman himself when it came to the sea. But true to her word the two ships snaked a path across the seas, the clipper always behind them, out of range of the guns, and gaining.
Half a bell passed, with them still a ways off. It was then that Rakka’li realized he’d left his knife below. He murmured that he’d return quickly, and Akkhi asserted he damn well better. He smiled as he felt her eyes on his back. So like mother.
The knife he found quickly, buried in his satchel. He used to carry it in his boot, but a peaceful life in the Wood had made him lax. Sliding the blade out and getting the grip right came as easily as Deirdre taught him all those moons ago. He touched his thumb to the edge.
Still sharp. The little sheath slipped round his belt easily too.
Akkhi beckoned him over when he came back topside even though he was clearly headed her way. The ship had gained fast in his moment of absence.
“Not much longer, you goin’ te be alright?â€
He shrugged, “Got my knife and my spellery, and I ain’t fearful of usin’ either.â€
She nodded, grim.
Akkhi had said ‘not much longer’, but it was short, tense, eternity before the ship finally got close enough for a look at who was on deck.
“Gods be good, slavers.â€
Rakka’li didn’t know who’d said that, but he didn’t doubt it by the look of them. They looked every bit the part.
