for you, Mal."
"Could you?" I said, rising to the game of sarcasm. "Perhaps interview a few for the Gazette?"
Ajator punched my shoulder. It hurt. "How about the rebellion?" he then asked.
I thought for a moment. "Another deadlock I would say. We travel the seas as messengers and hunters mostly. We've had a few fights but nothing worth bragging about. The Empire is weak, Ajator."
"What? How can you say that?"
"Father said as much. There aren't enough ships. Not enough men. The seas are too big for us to hunt them down, their ports too well defended for a strike at their heart. We just keep them in check, but we can't stamp them out. We need the full fleet."
"These invaders can't go on forever losing men and ships. When they dry up, the full Ardalrion Navy will come down upon the rebels and then we'll see who's weak," Ajator said with a stubborn certainty.
"I hope so. I would like to see an end to this fight. It feels wrong to be at war with men so like ourselves. They were Imperial settlers not long ago, ploughing a piece of civilisation out of those barbarian lands. I think I would rather be fending off the beastmen or pirates. Perhaps even the Sea Lords of the Free States."
"We shall be captains soon enough, Mal. Then we can strike at them, you and me. We'll show them how the House of Ardalrion are the finest masters of the Inner Ocean."
"I would like that. I like the sea. I like the ships and the men," I said, extracting my pipe. "You know when we were children at the castle? I was not sure about going to sea."
"I remember. I told you, you'd like it."
"You did. It can be tedious, but I have found a place, Ajator. I fit about as well as a thorn in an admiral's arse, but I'm here and I think I could be a good captain one day."
"A thorn? Literally or figuratively?"
"Both," I said, smiling at the thought. "I would like to see more action though. I want to strike at our enemies. I want to show the fleet that the Sea Huntress has a sting."
"Be careful what you wish for, Malspire. The gods might be listening."
Chapter Three
“Smoke to starboard!” called the lookout high above me.
I stood at the taffrail. Due to another officer's illness, I was still on duty having already passed the long cold hours of the night watch. I felt tired and hungry. Crosp was there and we tried as best we could to avoid one another. We were a few days out from Umuron and I was looking forward to some land time after a straight run from the capital. I was expecting my brother to be in the region. Ajator had left Norlan a few days earlier. It had now been three uneventful weeks at sea.
The captain and I stepped over to the side where we did indeed see a stack of smoke like a dark smudge on the grey horizon. It was cold, and a light drizzle made the crew damp and helped the cold reach the bone. Although pleased for my waxed long-coat, even that could not entirely protect me from the constant wind and drizzle.
“Bring us about, Mister Ardalrion. We shall investigate.”
“Aye aye, Captain. Bring us about. Starboard, three points. Full speed Mister Brintyne,” I called. The helmsman acknowledged and spun the wheel.
The ship came round, and the engine pounded to a new beat, the great paddle wheel at the rear of the Sea Huntress churned the water white. I made my way to the forecastle and using my officer’s glass, saw a plume of black smoke from a powered boat in the distance. It could have been a merchantman or Imperial Navy, but I had a gut feeling that there was trouble over there. We had boarded many ships in the past but here in the vast expanse of the great ocean, the small Sea Huntress - an insignificant little speck, suddenly felt like a flimsy barrier to the sucking depths and terrors that hunt these waves.
The ship cut a sure path through the grey sea, spattering me with more spray, adding to the drizzle as she rose and fell on the waves. Slowly the distant shapes of two ships came into view. One was a steam vessel of
"Could you?" I said, rising to the game of sarcasm. "Perhaps interview a few for the Gazette?"
Ajator punched my shoulder. It hurt. "How about the rebellion?" he then asked.
I thought for a moment. "Another deadlock I would say. We travel the seas as messengers and hunters mostly. We've had a few fights but nothing worth bragging about. The Empire is weak, Ajator."
"What? How can you say that?"
"Father said as much. There aren't enough ships. Not enough men. The seas are too big for us to hunt them down, their ports too well defended for a strike at their heart. We just keep them in check, but we can't stamp them out. We need the full fleet."
"These invaders can't go on forever losing men and ships. When they dry up, the full Ardalrion Navy will come down upon the rebels and then we'll see who's weak," Ajator said with a stubborn certainty.
"I hope so. I would like to see an end to this fight. It feels wrong to be at war with men so like ourselves. They were Imperial settlers not long ago, ploughing a piece of civilisation out of those barbarian lands. I think I would rather be fending off the beastmen or pirates. Perhaps even the Sea Lords of the Free States."
"We shall be captains soon enough, Mal. Then we can strike at them, you and me. We'll show them how the House of Ardalrion are the finest masters of the Inner Ocean."
"I would like that. I like the sea. I like the ships and the men," I said, extracting my pipe. "You know when we were children at the castle? I was not sure about going to sea."
"I remember. I told you, you'd like it."
"You did. It can be tedious, but I have found a place, Ajator. I fit about as well as a thorn in an admiral's arse, but I'm here and I think I could be a good captain one day."
"A thorn? Literally or figuratively?"
"Both," I said, smiling at the thought. "I would like to see more action though. I want to strike at our enemies. I want to show the fleet that the Sea Huntress has a sting."
"Be careful what you wish for, Malspire. The gods might be listening."
Chapter Three
“Smoke to starboard!” called the lookout high above me.
I stood at the taffrail. Due to another officer's illness, I was still on duty having already passed the long cold hours of the night watch. I felt tired and hungry. Crosp was there and we tried as best we could to avoid one another. We were a few days out from Umuron and I was looking forward to some land time after a straight run from the capital. I was expecting my brother to be in the region. Ajator had left Norlan a few days earlier. It had now been three uneventful weeks at sea.
The captain and I stepped over to the side where we did indeed see a stack of smoke like a dark smudge on the grey horizon. It was cold, and a light drizzle made the crew damp and helped the cold reach the bone. Although pleased for my waxed long-coat, even that could not entirely protect me from the constant wind and drizzle.
“Bring us about, Mister Ardalrion. We shall investigate.”
“Aye aye, Captain. Bring us about. Starboard, three points. Full speed Mister Brintyne,” I called. The helmsman acknowledged and spun the wheel.
The ship came round, and the engine pounded to a new beat, the great paddle wheel at the rear of the Sea Huntress churned the water white. I made my way to the forecastle and using my officer’s glass, saw a plume of black smoke from a powered boat in the distance. It could have been a merchantman or Imperial Navy, but I had a gut feeling that there was trouble over there. We had boarded many ships in the past but here in the vast expanse of the great ocean, the small Sea Huntress - an insignificant little speck, suddenly felt like a flimsy barrier to the sucking depths and terrors that hunt these waves.
The ship cut a sure path through the grey sea, spattering me with more spray, adding to the drizzle as she rose and fell on the waves. Slowly the distant shapes of two ships came into view. One was a steam vessel of
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