turned one direction to see an ogre ship with ogres clustered at the rail, gabbling in amazement at the sight of the sleek, dragon-prowed Venjekar . He turned the other way to see Raegar’s war galley raising its anchor.
The ogre ship was closest, so close that Skylan could hear an ogre, presumably a godlord, roaring orders. Skylan could not see the activity on the deck, but he could judge by the sounds of clashing steel and thudding feet that the ogres were arming themselves.
Raegar’s war galley was still some distance away. Lost in the fog, fearful of blundering unwittingly into the ogre fleet, Raegar would have given orders to drop anchor and lower the sails. Now that the fog was gone, he could resume his attempt to capture the Venjekar .
Acronis had his spyglass—what Wulfe called his “magic seeing glass”—to his eye.
“He’s sighted us,” Acronis reported to Skylan. “The war galley is sailing, though I’m not sure how. They don’t have their sail raised and there are no rowers.”
“Look at the dragonhead prow,” said Skylan. “What do you see?”
Acronis shifted his spyglass. He gasped in astonishment. “I see a dragon! The dragon’s head appears to be alive! I see gleaming scales. The mouth is wide open, the eyes flash…”
“Raegar has summoned his dragon,” said Skylan. “The Dragon Fala is sailing the ship.”
“I’ll be!” Acronis let out a soft sigh. “Will we summon our dragon?”
That, thought Skylan grimly, was a damn good question.
Raegar’s war galley—named Aelon’s Triumph —sped toward them, white foam flying as the dragon imbued the ship with her power. It was yet some distance away. Skylan had first to deal with the ogres. He walked back to the stern. The ogres had raised their singular triangle-shaped sail, but the ship wasn’t moving. Several ogres were now leaning over the rail, staring into the water, trying to figure out what was wrong.
“Their anchor’s fouled,” said Farinn.
“Thank you, Torval,” Skylan said, and he looked back over his shoulder at Raegar’s ship.
Aelon’s Triumph slowed. Raegar must have spotted the ogre ship. Raegar was proceeding cautiously, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew.
Skylan had one more ship to worry about. He shifted his gaze to a lone ogre ship that was sailing entirely the wrong direction, heading east and north instead of toward the ogre realm to the west. The rest of the ogre ships apparently had risked sailing through the fog, for they were little more than specks on the sun-spangled sea. As Acronis had predicted, none of the other ogre ships were paying the least attention to their wayward brother. Nor would they be returning to assist the unfortunate ogre ship with the fouled anchor.
The godlord was bellowing curses at his men and keeping a wary eye on the Venjekar . Ogres knew and respected the dragonships of the Vindrasi nation. The godlord could see that Skylan had only a handful of crew, but he might well have warriors stashed in the hold. And now, judging by yells from the ogres, they had just spotted Raegar in his dragonship.
An interesting situation. The ogres feared Skylan would ally with Raegar, while Raegar feared Skylan would ally himself with the ogres.
And as if Skylan didn’t have enough trouble, Treia came up to talk to him. She had, of course, seen Aelon’s Triumph . Treia’s pale cheeks were tinged with a faint blush. She must believe her lover was coming to save her. She circled around the body of Keeper, catching hold of the hem of her bedraggled robes, holding them up so as not to brush against the corpse of the man she had murdered.
She glanced at Aylaen, but found no help there. Aylaen turned her face away, looked out over the restless sea. Undeterred, Treia came to join Skylan. He kept his hand on the rudder, his attention fixed on the ogres.
“I wanted to thank you, Chief of Chiefs, for saving my life in Sinaria,” said Treia. She thought to flatter him by
The ogre ship was closest, so close that Skylan could hear an ogre, presumably a godlord, roaring orders. Skylan could not see the activity on the deck, but he could judge by the sounds of clashing steel and thudding feet that the ogres were arming themselves.
Raegar’s war galley was still some distance away. Lost in the fog, fearful of blundering unwittingly into the ogre fleet, Raegar would have given orders to drop anchor and lower the sails. Now that the fog was gone, he could resume his attempt to capture the Venjekar .
Acronis had his spyglass—what Wulfe called his “magic seeing glass”—to his eye.
“He’s sighted us,” Acronis reported to Skylan. “The war galley is sailing, though I’m not sure how. They don’t have their sail raised and there are no rowers.”
“Look at the dragonhead prow,” said Skylan. “What do you see?”
Acronis shifted his spyglass. He gasped in astonishment. “I see a dragon! The dragon’s head appears to be alive! I see gleaming scales. The mouth is wide open, the eyes flash…”
“Raegar has summoned his dragon,” said Skylan. “The Dragon Fala is sailing the ship.”
“I’ll be!” Acronis let out a soft sigh. “Will we summon our dragon?”
That, thought Skylan grimly, was a damn good question.
Raegar’s war galley—named Aelon’s Triumph —sped toward them, white foam flying as the dragon imbued the ship with her power. It was yet some distance away. Skylan had first to deal with the ogres. He walked back to the stern. The ogres had raised their singular triangle-shaped sail, but the ship wasn’t moving. Several ogres were now leaning over the rail, staring into the water, trying to figure out what was wrong.
“Their anchor’s fouled,” said Farinn.
“Thank you, Torval,” Skylan said, and he looked back over his shoulder at Raegar’s ship.
Aelon’s Triumph slowed. Raegar must have spotted the ogre ship. Raegar was proceeding cautiously, not wanting to bite off more than he could chew.
Skylan had one more ship to worry about. He shifted his gaze to a lone ogre ship that was sailing entirely the wrong direction, heading east and north instead of toward the ogre realm to the west. The rest of the ogre ships apparently had risked sailing through the fog, for they were little more than specks on the sun-spangled sea. As Acronis had predicted, none of the other ogre ships were paying the least attention to their wayward brother. Nor would they be returning to assist the unfortunate ogre ship with the fouled anchor.
The godlord was bellowing curses at his men and keeping a wary eye on the Venjekar . Ogres knew and respected the dragonships of the Vindrasi nation. The godlord could see that Skylan had only a handful of crew, but he might well have warriors stashed in the hold. And now, judging by yells from the ogres, they had just spotted Raegar in his dragonship.
An interesting situation. The ogres feared Skylan would ally with Raegar, while Raegar feared Skylan would ally himself with the ogres.
And as if Skylan didn’t have enough trouble, Treia came up to talk to him. She had, of course, seen Aelon’s Triumph . Treia’s pale cheeks were tinged with a faint blush. She must believe her lover was coming to save her. She circled around the body of Keeper, catching hold of the hem of her bedraggled robes, holding them up so as not to brush against the corpse of the man she had murdered.
She glanced at Aylaen, but found no help there. Aylaen turned her face away, looked out over the restless sea. Undeterred, Treia came to join Skylan. He kept his hand on the rudder, his attention fixed on the ogres.
“I wanted to thank you, Chief of Chiefs, for saving my life in Sinaria,” said Treia. She thought to flatter him by