Temple Commander

1. Pursuit-1

The bow dug deep, sending water cascading over the Valiant"s foredeck. Charlaine clung to the rail, her eyes glued onto the ship in the distance. It had taken months to track down the Sprite, and they"d finally located it, only to be confounded by the fast sailer. She glanced at Danica, who seemed far calmer than she would have expected.

Valiant"sSprite"They’re getting away," said Charlaine.

"Not yet, she"s not. She may be fast, but that doesn"t mean she can outrun a net."

"Meaning?"

Danica’s smile was most curious. "Those Halvarian ships we captured have proven useful these last four years, don"t you think?"

"They have. Is that why you"re smiling?"

"The island of Constance lies to the north, while Amity is to the south, which means they can only go east."

"Unless they choose to turn and seek battle with us."

"True, but I"d wager the presence of our Temple Knights would be a huge factor in dissuading them from that course of action. I only hope our timing is spot on."

"If something’s going to happen, it better be soon. The Sprite will be out into open water before long." The enemy vessel began turning to the south. "What’s this?"

Sprite"It appears they"ve spotted something," said Danica. She stood on her toes as if doing so would somehow improve her vision. "There she is, the Fearless."

FearlessA bowsprit came into view as a large, two-masted warship rounded the eastern end of Constance. It was much slower than the ship they pursued, but the ballistae mounted on its deck could wreak terrible damage if they got close enough. Understanding the threat, the Sprite kept a sufficient distance between them to avoid an engagement. Their new southerly bearing looked like a safe course for escape.

Sprite "This is all so frustrating," noted Charlaine. "To have them so near yet be unable to close."

"It won"t be long now." Danica turned to the south, scanning the horizon. "There," she said, pointing. "Do you see it?"

In the distance, another ship was closing, this one similar in size to the Valiant.

Valiant"Is that the Vanguard?" asked Charlaine.

Vanguard"It is. You know your ships."

"It was an easy guess. What other ships have we with a triangular sail, other than Valiant?"

Valiant"If I have my way, there"ll be many more like her." Danica chuckled. "I considered re-rigging the Vigilant, but it"s too difficult to get out of Grazynia"s hands."

Vigilant"I knew Vanguard was supposed to be fast, but I never imagined she"d be so sleek. I bet she could even outrun this ship."

Vanguard"It"s quite possible. We built her to the same specifications. You might say she and the Valiant are sister ships."

Valiant"Quite fitting,” said Charlaine, “considering they both belong to the order. Are you looking at building more of the larger vessels?"

"Not in the immediate future," said Danica. "The new shipyard at Temple Bay isn"t adequate for a hull of that size. We have the five ships Halvaria donated to our cause, so there’s more than enough for now."

Charlaine laughed. "Donated?"

"Well, captured. It amounts to the same thing."

"I"m sorry I haven"t had more time to visit. I hear the settlement is coming along nicely."

"It is," said Danica. "The toughest part was recruiting the shipbuilders. Once we made it clear we wanted their families to join them, things moved quickly."

Having spotted the Vanguard, the Sprite began turning back to the west.

VanguardSprite"It appears you shall get that fight after all," said Danica. "I suppose the Sprite"s captain felt he had a better chance against us than potentially taking on two ships at once." She turned aft to order the Temple Knights to prepare, but they were already donning their helmets in anticipation. There were only six of them, yet their plate armour was almost impervious to anything a pirate was likely to carry.

Sprite"sThe enemy vessel turned into the wind, causing it to slow considerably. It was always a risky manoeuvre, for if they didn’t do it correctly, the ship would lose its momentum, quickly becoming dead in the water. The Sprite, however, navigated the turn with an expert hand and was soon heading straight towards the Valiant, although at a significantly reduced speed.

SpriteValiantDanica ordered her own ship to take in sail, slowing to prepare for boarding. Sister Celine removed the tarp covering the arbalest and loaded a grapnel. The five remaining sisters moved to the railing on the port side, taking up crossbows and preparing to unleash a volley. There would only be time for a single bolt each, for once they closed the distance, they would draw swords and board the enemy vessel.

The Vanguard changed course, following the Sprite as it clawed its way westward. Being a less nimble sailer, the Fearless reduced sail and maintained its course, its presence acting as a deterrent should the enemy attempt to flee eastward.

VanguardSpriteFearlessArrows flew from the enemy, a volley proving wildly inaccurate in the pitching waters of the Great Northern Sea. Celine let loose with the arbalest, the grapnel sailing across the distance to bounce off the enemy"s deck and careen into the railing on the far side. Sailors rushed to take up the slack on the rope and hauled away, pulling the Sprite towards them.

SpriteAt this point, the enemy had two choices: either cut away the rope or embrace it and attempt to board.

Charlaine shook her head. As had happened too many times in the past, the pirates decided to fight. Had the Valiant been a ship from one of the Petty Kingdoms, they might have stood a chance, but the Temple Knights of Saint Agnes were not the typical seaborne warriors employed by the kingdoms littering the coast.

ValiantAs the Sprite pulled closer, it was easy to see the men clustered by its railings, eager to come to grips with their foe. Crossbows sang out, taking down three of the pirates, and then the enemy ship’s hull came alongside, bumping up against the Valiant. The impact sent people scattering on both ships, many falling to the deck.

SpriteValiantHaving secured herself against the expected impact, Charlaine drew her sword and rushed down the deck, ready to fight off any attacks.

Someone on the Sprite threw down a boarding ramp while his crewmates tossed their own grappling hooks, eager to ensure the two ships remained locked in place.

SpriteCharlaine waited for the spiked ramp to dig into the railing, then rushed across it, ready to deliver holy vengeance upon the enemy. A sailor blocked her way, but the swing of her sword soon took him down. She advanced, dropping to the Sprite"s deck, her blade seeking any who resisted.

Sprite"sA sword careened off her helmet as her own weapon took a man in the chest. He staggered back, mesmerized by the blood staining his shirt, then slumped to the deck. An axe crashed into Charlaine"s forearm, denting her armour and knocking the blade from her hand. She withdrew, seeking some space to draw her dagger, but then her foot slipped on the bloodied deck, sending her crashing to her knees.

A shape pushed past her, followed by another as the Temple Knights of Saint Agnes fought their way onto the enemy vessel.

Charlaine looked around, but the fighting was over. Three men lay dead and another five wounded, but they held no desire to continue, for they’d dropped their weapons.

"That was nice and quick," came Danica"s voice. "And not a single injury to our own knights." She looked down at Charlaine. "You"re not wounded, are you?"

"Only my pride."

Danica helped her to her feet. "You know, we have knights to do all the fighting. You didn"t need to be the first across."

"I was trying to set an example."

"Of what? Being impetuous?"

Charlaine smiled. "You know, I would take that as an insult from anyone else."

Sister Vivian pushed a man forward, forcing him to his knees. "This is the captain," she said. "I found him hiding below."

Charlaine looked the fellow over. He was rail thin, sporting a face with a very patchy beard. "You"re the notorious Captain Booker?"

"The very same," he replied. "Captain Elgar Booker, at your service."

"I was expecting someone taller."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"You’re remarkably calm for somebody with a death sentence hanging over them."

Booker shrugged. "It was bound to come to an end eventually. I made my bed, and I"m not afraid to lie in it. I am curious, though. To which port are we headed?"

Charlaine looked at her companion. "That"s your choice, Admiral, although I doubt it makes much difference. The penalty for piracy in any of the Petty Kingdoms is death."

"We"ll bring him with us to Korvoran," said Danica. "We need to get you back to the commandery there anyway." Danica turned to Sister Vivian. "See that he"s properly bound before you take him aboard Valiant. We"ll hand him over to the authorities once we"re in Korvoran."

Valiant"Aye, Admiral," the knight replied, hauling the prisoner to his feet and marching him off.

"The Sprite is a fast ship," said Charlaine. "Will you take her into the fleet?”

Sprite"No, she"s too small, although I suppose she might do for running dispatches."

"Have you the crew for her?"

"A ship like that would only require a handful of men. I"m certain we can scrape together enough to put her into service. Of course, I"d put a sister knight in charge."

"I"m sure there are many to choose from," said Charlaine. "You might even consider putting a Mathewite in charge."

"Why would I do that?"

"The Temple Knights of Saint Mathew are respected everywhere. Not even the Halvarians would attack a ship flying their flag, especially when it’s not a ship of war."

"That would make us reliant on another order."

"And we aren"t now? I might remind you they look after our sick and wounded, and we know we can trust them to keep the location of Temple Bay secret. It"s only a suggestion, of course. You"re the admiral."

Danica chuckled. "And you"re the Temple Captain of Korvoran. Technically, I still report to you."

"You know as well as I that"s only an administrative convenience."

"True, but one of these days, the order will reassign you, and there"s no guarantee your successor would look at things the same way."

"Nonsense. I"ve been here for almost five years. If they were going to reassign me, they"d have done it by now."

The Valiant sailed into Korvoran Harbour with little fanfare. As usual, the sisters secured the ship, then posted a guard to keep onlookers at bay. The Sprite had sailed ahead and now lay tied to the dock alongside the spot reserved for the order"s ships.

ValiantSpriteCharlaine stepped ashore to find Sister Marlena waiting for her, not an unusual occurrence, given her position as the Temple Captain"s adjutant. Still, something in her stance gave the impression there was news of some sort.

"Well?" said Charlaine. "Why the long face?"

"There are dispatches from the Antonine."

"We get messages from there all the time."

"True,” replied Marlena, “but one is marked urgent."

"Then we best return to the commandery and see what"s so important." She was about to head down the dock, then thought better of it. "Danica?" she called out. "I need to speak with you about something. Come to my office when you get a chance, will you?"

"Of course. I"ll just see to the Valiant"s restock first."

Valiant"sCharlaine made her way into town, accompanied by her aide. "Anything else of interest happen while I was gone?" she asked.

"A couple of replacements came in, but Leona has them well in hand."

"And the duke?"