Green at the Horizon

A Shadow in the Wind

The Stoirmskeda had sailed the coast of Derrick for over a day hiding from royal embarkments, or any other that could betray it´s position and wonder about its activities. Last rays of sun were hiding over the horizon, leaving every near dock and surroundings of the castle at mercy of gloom. Only the moon gave a soft contrast between the shadows of rock and establishments within hidden shades of blue by the streets. Sienna stood over deck supported by her arms at the railing, her sight laying ahead towards the imponent castle in the middle of the city. Eyra, her trusted friend, and doctor onboard the Stoirmskeda, approached her in company of an older man.

               “You´re ready?” asked her friend sharing the view over the castle.

 “If we want a chance to do it, this is it. Still I´m afraid this might be the easiest part of our task” she answered extending her arm for the man to give her a black cloth that she arranged over her shoulders. “Thank you, Daron.” The man nodded and waited by the end of the railing with a rope in his hands guiding the way downwards to a boat by the side of the ship. 

“I have the reply ready for Zarela, any of them. Whatever the outcome, I´ll notify her. Shall I send Fergus to fetch you in case this goes the wrong way?” Sienna turned to her and Eyra saw amusement in her friend´s eyes. “Nay. If they catch me I´ll find a way out. Besides, I must return, you couldn´t navigate the Stoirm and cross the sea of Lys, even with a dragon as guard. Daron, ready the men to deploy sails as soon as I give sign.”

“Aye, Captain.” He replied and gave her the rope. Taking it, she stood over the edge and descended to the boat. 

“Eyra, I´d like you to prepare something strong to sleep her as soon as we set foot on deck.”

“I imagined you´d say so. Don´t worry, it´s ready…” Sienna heard her distant answer while the waves distanced her from the ship. As a reply she made a gesture with her arm for the crew to acknowledge it, there was no use in screaming an answer or more instructions with the crashing of waves filling the air.

Her arrival was far from the main docks, by the shore near the beach. There was no need to hide the boat, darkness taking the day with the night made things easier. Sienna slithered through the labyrinthic stoned streets slowing her pace when some scarce passer-by appeared in her path. She could only get her bearings by searching for the castle´s tower, higher that the stoned wall streets. The bell of a clock´s tower by the edge of the city rang marking half quarter past the hour, it was the perfect time for her to start wandering by the castle´s perimeter. Guards were placed by the main and secondary entrances; the smallest protected by iron gates while the main one heavily guarded with several soldiers. But Sienna wouldn´t intend to get in by any of them. She analysed the castle´s wall and searched for the lowest points, aligning them with near buildings. By the second turn she had decided her entrance point. With a special rope of leather, and a hook, she slipped over the wall and the main field to approach a closed balcony, not too far from the resting rooms, barely a floor under them. Sienna walked through the corridors decorated with varied crests and hangings from the royal family and other allied kingdoms as she tried to find the princess´s room without facing any guard; Zarela had given her some charts of the castle, but they wouldn´t cover all of it. Fast and stealthy she moved between shadows, her cloak waving behind her.

Alena kept her atlas in the shelf and prepared to sleep.  Allon, dressed in shiny silver armour and always c*****g the blue feather by his helmet, her personal guard, had made his last patrol before the clock tower had rang the hour; before she´d lost her thoughts admiring the dying sunrays reflected over the sea. He´d flirted with her for several years since her parents assigned him with her protection.

She´d always thought Allon would flirt with her for as long as her parents finished searching for her suitor; the last young man considered had been dismissed two weeks ago, being sent back to his castle, wherever that was; Allon had discussed something in secret with her father. No one had informed her nothing about it yet, though her personal guard had keep on saying nice words and behaving as usual. There was nothing strange to think of. She´d known him for a long time, almost since they were kids, and he had made her blush more than once…perhaps that feeling was enough to truly accept him as a suitor and husband, after all, she hadn´t spent more time with any other man in her life than with him.

Now, with her room dimmed in shadows and a soft breeze dancing through the window, Alena slept tucked in her bed, resting between soft covers. The heavy wooden door behind her opened slowly as she turned in sleep. The hooded figure by the entrance froze a moment before taking a step inside, approaching the bed and staring at Alena. Sienna could only see a part of the young woman´s face, her expression was relaxed, and the pirate admired the peaceful moment before shaking her shoulder to wake her. Alena lazily opened her eyes and tried to focus what was in front of her. She saw someone standing by her bedside, covered with a cloak, and their face was hidden by a cloth, the only visible characteristic were the eyes. Alena felt froze under their gaze and by a moment, she allowed herself to admire their intensity, feeling she could dive in them but the moment passed when she force herself back to the environment of her room and panicking, she tensed fearing the intrusion of this person in her chambers.

“Who- who are you? You´re not allowed to be here” Sienna smirked under the face cloth; her eyes shone with amusement. Alena couldn´t avoid analysing the intruder´s vestment, worn off boots, cape, gloves, cloth covering the face…and a cutlass sword. This person was not from anywhere around Derrik.

“What do you want?” Rolling her eyes, Sienna urged her to stand out of bed and tend her a coat.

“You have to come with me.” Was all she said.  

“But-but, why? No. I have nowhere to go with you…If you have come here to rob me or ask some king of ransom. You´ll get in a lot of trouble. The soldiers would come any moment now and my guard would kill you first thing entering here.” She hoped for her words to cause some fear in the intruder, but it seemed to provoke the contrary. Sienna grabbed her by the arm and tried to make Alena cooperate. “…you have no idea how much trouble will fall upon you. You´re signing your death sentence.” The intruder hushed her, hurried steps sound at the corridor and Sienna got covered against the wall, pulling Alena with her; the princess stared again at the intruder and payed more attention to the vestment. An idea lit up her mind.

“Are you a pirate?” she whispered intrigued, her surprise tone didn´t go unnoticed by Sienna who turned in disbelief.

“Now you´re going to tell me you fancy pirates and I´m not so despicable after all.” Alena loved to read about pirates and knew every story about them, but she wasn´t sure this was the best moment to mention it. Besides, this pirate didn´t seem to be as the ones she read about in books, not to mention that the situation intimidated her and didn´t inspire any feeling of adventure or freedom. Her expression hardened.

               “Never!” She spat with venom in her voice. Her captor´s eyes seemed offended for a moment before shinning with contemp. An iron grip formed around her arm, harming her, and the intruder pulled harshly outside the room. Alena protested and tried to free herself, but the intruder muzzled her with a cloth and tied her hands. “If you dare to make a single noise, I´ll throw you through the window.” Alena trembled imagining the scene and cooperated with the pirate. The corridors were dark and empty but steps of the guards making rounds could be listened at distance. The intruder fastened their speed. A turn left, two to the right, another left and they would reach the stairs. They stop abruptly before colliding with another figure who appeared in front of them. It was a man, with dark clothes, a black wide brim hat, a stylised moustache and a goatee beard. He smiled in recognition.

               “Ah, Captain. I supposed you´d be here trying to get the heir for your employers, but I must admit, never thought you´d be so fast.” he caressed his beard. “You know I´ve always respected you but in this occasion, I must ask you to surrender your sword and bugger off. I want the girl and my employer pays well enough for the inconvenient.” Sienna sigh unhappy with the idea of loosing more time. But in no more than three moves, she left Captain Arnoldi at the floor, mumbling for herself “I respect you too, Arnoldi. But I have no time to lose.” And she kept walking dragging Alena behind. When they reached the floor below, they had to stop again now, there was not one, but five men trying to block their way out. Alena feared the sudden appearance of so many outsiders inside the castle, still her heart dropped when she realized, the royal guard, and even her personal soldier, were nowhere to be seen. Her captor at her side, barely reacted to the new surprise before them, her expression resembled more to that of someone who got bored with every passing minute. And whispered low to herself, “One can never find you at sea, but here you are now all together in the same castle.”

The man with better stance, the one leading the assault, walked forward, sword in hand.

“Going somewhere, Sienna?” Alena feared him when listening his voice. He was different from the others, perhaps even good looking, but there was something strange in him that made her tremble. Without being conscious of it, she neared her captor; Sienna glared at him cautiously.

“Not with you, Fyerk” she spat with a dangerous tone. “Step aside”

On the contrary, Fyerk walked forward, nearing Sienna´s sword reach. Both sized each other, with their stance on guard, guessing where the other may give the first swing when several cannons sound at distance frizzing everyone for a moment. Sienna glared furiously at him and every other pirate present. Those were not her cannons, they were from several other ships, she could tell by the timing and the noise, many ships knew about the heir…

               “What in the Sea have you done?!” Her blade slithered fast against the long of his blade and she ended punching him in the face with her handle guard. Fyerk fell backwards with a bloody nose. The cannoning continued and she dragged Alena with her crossing hurriedly the main hall to reach the entrance. Two pirates approached trying to stop her, but it only took her two swings of her blade to dispatch them away. Alena´s panic increased with every given step seeing how it seemed nothing could save her. The night´s sky engulfed them as soon as they cross the main entrance and distanced from the gate´s torches. The royal guard appeared starting to flank the castle, screaming orders to other guards as they tried to face a new number of pirates who arrived late to the entrance, but Sienna and Alena where already sliding streets fast like water in a river. As they reached the beach where the pirate had left her boat, she understood why the city had fallen into such chaotic state. Three ships had docked at the main ports and other three intended to approach while still firing the defence buildings near the beach. Sienna saw it as a foolish way to try and kidnap the princess, still it suited them because the royal guard was distracted with the invasion and not with them escaping.        

               Alena spotted the boat were her captor attempted to get her in and she tried to get loose, but Sienna´s grip around her waist only tightened, lifting her from the ground and making Alena furiously kick the air showing her frustration. When the heir pushed the boat with one of her feet and made Sienna stumble forwards, the pirate decided that it was enough and put a black cloth bag over her head, secured once more her grip around the young woman and lifted her as high as she could to end up getting her, finally, inside the boat. Sienna pushed it a meter away from the shore before jumping inside and getting the oars, she rowed to the Stoirmskeda with the sound of cannons at the far side of the shore, behind her, and screams of fight muffled by distance; her heart thumped in her chest with each row she gave. Eyra and Daron threw a rope to tie the boat, Sienna tied Alena´s hands and feet to get her on board and make it easier for her to get up. As soon as she reached deck and left the heir on the floor, Eyra kneeled and pinched her with a thin needle, previously damped with a mixture of opioids she´d developed. In few seconds Alena stopped trying to untie herself and dose off. Sienna removed the cloth she covered her face with, as well as the cape Daron gave her earlier, and did the same with the bag she´d covered the heir´s face. She untied her feet and after releasing a tired sigh she addressed her crew as more cannons fired away.

               “We leave, now! Take her down to the cells. We´ll figure a better location tomorrow. Deploy sails! I want to see you move!” Before ending her words, everyone did as she ordered.

               “What took you so long?” Adventures Eyra.

               “Don´t tell me you don´t guess. Arnoldi, Fyerk and the Gods know who others, wanted to take Zarela´s daughter as much as us. I don´t bloody know who hire them or what they were told, but by the sound of it, it´s like an army decided to make Derrick tremble down. As soon as they know she´s onboard, we´ll have them hunting us. There´s not a minute to lose.”

Half an hour latter three ships pursue the Stoirm cutting the waves by bow and shattering the silence of the night with their canons, their shots lost, being out of reach. Sienna didn´t leave her place by the helmsman, relieving him from time to time when their pursuers were too close. There was no doubt for her that it´ll be a log night, only when the sound of canons was distant, she allowed to send most of her men to rest while she remained on deck until few hours remained for sunlight.