Ben's NaNoWriMo Log

Chapter 36 added Sep 23, 2005
Sarah ordered the boat launched as soon as she saw the golden flash from the shoreline. Soon Carathix was climbing aboard, followed by sailors hauling several large bags and boxes. "How did you get out of there with so much... stuff?" asked Sarah incredulously. Carathix smiled. "Officially, I'm on a sabbatical to research tidal auras. It'll be weeks before they wonder where I am. Masters have a lot more freedom than Journeymen." "So it would seem." Sarah laughed. She ordered the crew to weigh anchor and head north again. We've got a cabin set up down below for you. Hopefully it'll be big enough for all of your gear." "I'll make do somehow." Mordial handed the wheel off to one of the pilots, climbing down to the main deck. He looked the wizard over and smiled at Sarah. "So, this is your secret weapon, eh? I didn't know you were so well connected." He extended his hand to the new arrival. "This is Alliardo Mordial, my first mate. Alliardo, I'd like you to meet..." She gave Carathix a questioning look. "Carathix is a good enough name for me. I've gotten used to it over the years." He shook Mordial's hand. Sarah gestured toward her cabin. "Shall we go discuss our strategy?" The captain's cabin was comfortable despite its small size. The three of them sat around the map table as Sarah opened a bottle of Siendan wine she had been saving for a special occasion. "So you've decided I'm not completely suicidal, Carathix?" "Only because King Alfred has made some poor choices." The wizard took a sip of the blood red wine and nodded approvingly. "Stormwatch, like all the Cabals, is dedicated to the service of the Crown. In practice, however, each king has different relationships with each individual Cabal. For example, Bloodwood kings like Alfred historically favor the local college at Boarshead. A wise king will foster good relationships with all of the Cabals, but Alfred has seen fit to neglect some of them, particularly Stormwatch, which had strong ties to his predecessor. "The importance of this to us is that King Alfred has assigned Boarshead wizards to guard his precious weapon shipment." Receiving no reaction, he elaborated, "The college at Boarshead is in the middle of a forest. They're fine enough war wizards, but what they know of the subtler maritime magics wouldn't fill my hat. As long as there aren't too many of them -- an expense I doubt Alfred would authorize -- I should be able to neutralize them if I'm careful. The rest is up to you." Mordial nodded. "The wizards were my primary concern; until now we had no way to counter them." He turned to Sarah. "That still leaves us with a significant problem. Their ship will no doubt be bigger, with a larger crew and better armaments. In a fair fight, they will slaughter us." "That's true." Sarah drummed her fingers slowly on the table. "We need to find a way to even the odds. We're not trying to take their ship, so it's not necessary to defeat their entire crew. We just need to delay them long enough to steal the weapons." Carathix leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. He steepled his fingers and closed his eyes for moment. "I think it can be done. Fortunately, I am intimately familiar with the layout of a Royal Navy frigate, a benefit that most pirates lack. Even so, it will take a lot of practice and discipline to pull this off." He opened his eyes again. "We have one month before the shipment, correct?" Sarah and Mordial nodded in unison. "We'll need all of it."
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