The Scarlet King (25 page)

When they arrived, the survivor clutched
their gunnel and spoke in a tongue they understood not. At first
they helped the survivor not, for they were shocked to realize it
was a young women whose appearance was something they had never
seen before. Her skin was as dark as charcoal and her eyes seemed
whiter than possible. She was far too fatigued to pull herself
aboard, and the guards finally reached down and pulled her aboard.
She was tall, even taller than those of the Forest, but very thin.
She continued speaking but they understood her not.

When they returned to the ship, those aboard
lowered a rope. She was raised onto the deck mostly by those
pulling on the rope, for her fatigue was great. She was no sooner
on deck than Captain Cook ordered the stranger’s hands and feet
tied, but he did allow a blanket. Jason questioned the need for
tying her up, and Captain Cook replied, "Our enemy is ferocious and
I will take no chances." He then asked Jason, "Have you ever seen
such a person before with black skin?"

Jason had been staring intently at the
stranger and took a moment to respond, "I have never seen nor read
of such a people. The others aboard the ship appeared as we
do."

Captain Cook gave orders, and soon the sails
were reset and they were making headway back to their original
holding area. Jason spent his time giving the stranger small sips
of water and bites of food. Even while chewing she kept speaking,
but Jason understood none of what the stranger spoke. He closed his
eyes, and instead of listening to the words themselves, he listened
to the rhythm of the speech. It seemed a mixture of two different
patterns, one of which seemed to echo the cadence he had heard from
the enemy ships, but the other had a very distinct rhythm to it. It
most reminded him of the drumbeat of those of the Forest.

Captain Cook checked his course and left the
helm to the seaman on watch in order to check on Jason. Jason
explained his findings and Captain Cook asked, "What think you of
this woman and of the danger she may represent?"

Jason finished scribbling down on his pad the
rhythm he had detected before answering, "I think she is not one of
the invaders. Her speech seems to be a mixture of two different
languages and she has been much abused."

Captain Cook asked, "A servant or slave
perhaps?"

Jason nodded in agreement and said, "She may
represent a key to understanding our enemy if only we could
communicate." He added, "I wonder much of the land where she
originated which produced the blackness of the skin."

Captain Cook asked, "What is our plan?"

Jason was quiet for long moment before
replying, "I would we try and connect with those of the Forest to
see if the young priest who accompanies them can learn this
language." He then added, "I would also plan an attack on the enemy
ships in the harbor if you and Heather find my plan
reasonable."

Captain Cook looked at him with little
surprise, saying only, "If it is to be, it will be."

They found no other evidence of ship wreckage
or survivors. As night settled upon the ocean, they placed their
ship in a holding pattern and simply awaited the dawn. It had been
a stressful few days and everyone needed the rest, so other than
the watch officer no one was topside. The woman they rescued
remained restrained but now was allowed to have her hands in the
front. She refused to leave Jason’s side and had to be forcibly
placed in a locked storage unit, for Captain Cook trusted her
not.

Jason was awakened with the coming of the
dawn and prepared for the day. He met Captain Cook near the galley
as the Captain was ascending topside to check on the ship before
the breaking of the fast. Jason asked if their prisoner could be
released and join them for the breaking of the fast. Captain Cook
thought for moment before responding, "You seem to trust the
stranger. I will have the door unlocked but would recommend that
she remain restrained."

Jason acknowledged his concern saying, "The
one we rescued is without a doubt a stranger but she seems not to
be an enemy. I would expect she served as a slave or servant to
those from the East. I would gain her trust, for she has much to
teach us."

Captain Cook but nodded and searched through
his keys to find the one for the locked storage unit. The stranger
was curled up against the bulkhead but awoke with the sound of the
door opening. In the dim light she recognized Jason and begin
speaking rapidly using words with different cadence. Jason could
understand her not, but led her aft to prepare for the day. By
releasing her hands from behind and having them tied again in the
front, they allowed the stranger much more freedom and the ability
to care for herself. Jason led her back to the galley where she
consumed enough food for two people. As soon as the eating was done
she resumed her speech.

Jason held up his hand in what seemed to be a
universal sign of stopping. He then pointed to himself and repeated
his name many times. The stranger finally responded by repeating
the sound, and after several tries was able to adequately say the
name. Jason then moved around the galley and named many things,
which the stranger then repeated. Jason then pointed at the
stranger but said nothing. The stranger first knew not how to
respond, and Jason again pointed to himself and repeated his name.
This time when he pointed at the stranger, she replied,
"Rheon."

Jason pointed to himself and repeated his
name, and then again pointed to the stranger and said, "Rheon."

The stranger had a huge smile on her face as
she nodded her head and pointed again to herself, saying her name
and pointing to Jason and pronouncing his name with a heavy accent.
They continued this work, naming the other crew members and other
objects aboard the ship.

By Jason's reckoning it would be midday
before they again arrived at the headlands. He continued his work
until land was sighted, then everyone's attention was focused on
the headland looking for the light signal. The afternoon was
growing long when at last a signal was seen. Those on board
responded and Captain Cook gave orders to bring the ship into the
landing site in the small bay. They dropped not an anchor but
lowered their sails and turned into the wind to control the ship,
as a boat was lowered and the crew members prepared to row
ashore.

Darkness was all but complete when the boat
returned to the ship. Captain Cook gave orders for the raising of
the sails as they headed back to the open sea and the safety it
represented. With the crew of the boat was one of the Forest. He
was welcomed aboard, but his stories had to wait until Captain Cook
was satisfied that they were far enough from land to be safe from
enemy scouts sighting them.

The evening meal was made much more
interesting as news of the war was relayed by the one from the
Forest. Jason was particularly interested in the details of the
steam cannon, but their visitor could relay only the details of the
one experimental shot he had witnessed. The injury to Heather
saddened everyone, for even those of the sea knew of her power as a
warrior—but more importantly they knew her as a most human leader.
Jason asked, "Is she able to travel?"

The one of the Forest explained that she was
riding a horse but had significant difficulty walking. The evening
wore on, but Jason was deep in thought with his planning and
noticed not. Morning came and Jason's plan was complete. He met
with Captain Cook and said, "I will travel to meet with the
Princess and bring the stranger with me."

Captain Cook looked long and hard at Jason
before replying, "I have pledged to guard your safety. How am I to
do that if you travel?"

Jason replied, "You cannot. The other option
would be to rely on the one from the Forest to relay my plan and
proceed without knowing if those of the Forest will be supporting
us. It would seem we would have significant risk either way."

Captain Cook replied, "Let us go forward and
hear more of your plan before we decide."

Jason took his time explaining the nature of
the harbor and the presence of machines of war on the headlands to
the east side of the harbor entrance, with only a small position on
the west. He then quoted from the book he had been studying from
the last time those of the East had attacked. When they had
succeeded in landing enough troops, they attacked and eventually
overran the defenses on the headland, which gave them control of
the harbor entrance. This allowed their ships to not only conquer
the harbor, but also to begin attacking the city walls with their
machines of war.

It was Don the Great's decision to use his
remaining ships to at first flee to the safety of the open ocean
and then return as a tightly organized convoy. The enemy’s machines
of war based on the headland were unable to stop the convoy from
reentering the harbor. They attacked just at nightfall when the
black ships from the East had already set anchor for the night.

Captain Cook had many questions about the
nature of the harbor and of the entrance itself. Jason retrieved
the book describing the last war and a chart of the harbor from his
cabin. The stranger accompanied him, which bothered Jason not, but
seemed to make Captain Cook uncomfortable. As they studied the
chart the stranger would look over Jason's shoulder, and when she
recognized the harbor she became agitated and repeatedly shook her
head. She kept repeating, "No, no." She had learned yes and no but
could explain no more why she was upset. Jason turned and put his
hand on the stranger’s shoulder but said not, for he had not words
the stranger would understand.

Only after Jason had sketched out a very
crude drawing of their ship attacking the black ships from the East
did the stranger calm somewhat, but her white eyes remained wide
open with obvious fear. Captain Cook said, "Our stranger has a
great fear of those from the East. I expect there is good reason
for this fear and we need to respect it."

Jason responded, "All the more reason to risk
a surprise attack, for if those of the Red fall, how long before we
follow and our way of life is destroyed?" He continued, "I would
take the risk here, far from our homeland, than risk our
peoples."

Captain Cook but nodded his head in agreement
and began taking notes, trying to determine the time of the moon
and tides. He asked, "Would you attack again at nightfall or
sunrise?"

Jason replied, "The last attack was at
nightfall, and I would expect those of the East to be prepared
again for such an attack. A sunrise attack where we followed the
easterly portion of the harbor so the sun was at our back might be
advisable."

Captain Cook responded not but continued
working on his figuring. Only after several moments did he look up.
He said, "If we attack on the morning of the crescent moon, we can
ride the end of the incoming tide and hopefully escape on the
outgoing tide." He then added, "It is but ten days to the crescent
moon."

Jason thought but a short time before
replying, "I would expect a three-day sail to the harbor, but it
may be best to approach from the east. If we allow two days of
travel for the one of the Forest to return to their camp, that
would allow only eight days for Heather to prepare and begin the
attack on the headland." He thought silently for a few minutes
before continuing. "I would expect those of the Forest will have
difficulty meeting our schedule, but it seems the logical time." He
then asked, "What think you of our chances if those of the Forest
are unable to assist?"

It was now Captain Cook's turn for quiet
reflection before he responded, "I would expect the shadows of the
morning light and the additional speed of the tidal push will allow
us access to the harbor, but I fear the escape will be
difficult."

They continued their planning as the ship
again returned to the small bay for landing the one of the Forest.
Jason completed his note to Heather describing the need to destroy
the lookout and weapons of war on the headland to the harbor. The
one of the Forest looked at the letter Jason handed him but took it
not, saying, "It may be best if nothing is written, for there is
some danger of my capture. Speak what you would have me tell
Heather of the Northern palace."

Jason unsealed the letter and read it aloud
to the one of the Forest, who listened intensely and then repeated
verbatim the contents of the letter. When Jason and the one of the
Forest were satisfied, the one of the Forest climbed into the boat
with his pack refreshed with food from the ship. He but waived once
after he had regained the shore and disappeared quickly. Captain
Cook spoke up saying, "How is it that those of the Forest seem to
just disappear when they wish?" He then gave orders after the boat
had been secured on deck for the raising of the sails, and they
again disappeared into the vastness of the ocean.

While Jason and Captain Cook did battle with
those from the East, Heather continued her planning. The young
priest had finally translated the hidden message on the scroll and
those of the Forest had searched for the hidden entrance. Heather
was meeting with the commander of the Red when Jeremy returned from
a scouting mission to report that they had found the door to the
secret passageway. The commander of the Red looked somewhat
perplexed, and Heather explained, "The true message on the scroll
sent by the one you call Don the Great was on the back. What
appeared decorative was actually an ancient form of writing and it
discussed this hidden passage."

Jeremy interrupted, saying, "We found the
passage as described, but the door is of some sort of metal and
secured from within. Only a small window could be opened from
outside."

As they were discussing possible means of
opening the door, Betty appeared, bringing food for Jeremy. She
said, "Me small and I fit."