CHAPTER 15: A SHOT IN THE DARK

The rail of the other sloop slithered parallel to their own, and the small, cloaked man hesitated to jump. “I—I—“ Orvin stuttered, hesitating out of fear.

“Now!” called Falinor, and he grabbed the man by his cloak and hauled him over. He flailed, howling like a man stumbling off a cliff.

As he fell onto the deck of the other sloop, Falinor exclaimed, “Now, Princess!” and he lunged over the side. The only reason he had not thrown her as well was due to her being a giantess—a very large girl—and far more capable of jumping the gap than either he or the smaller man.

As soon as she fell into a heap beside him with a grunt of pain, he wasted no time and issued further commands to the giantess and Orvin. “Break the lanterns over our sloop!”

“What?!”

As he began to make his way toward the wheel he turned in frustration and hurled a quick fireball at the other boat to indicate that he meant their first boat—not the new one. He snapped, “Just do it!”

Ahead in the mist, the swordsman could not see the wheel or the steersman, but he knew the giant would be there—and he did not know if all of the crew had boarded their boat or if there were other giants aboard this sloop.

Not until the looming form of one came into his sight. The swordsman paused for a moment, but then lunged at the surprised giant, swinging his razor-sharp blade. He nearly clipped the giant under the arm, but he cried out fearfully and jumped off the side into the river.

Falinor did not take pause or slow his gait as he moved toward the steersman. When the wheel became visible, the giant there steering the sloop, he came at his opponent with an overhanded strike, howling like a savage wolf. His blade cut a chunk of wood out of the wheel as the giant stumbled back. Falinor pressed on, stabbing with his blade at the unarmed giant, who scrambled to withdraw the knife in his sash.

Once the blade was free, he lashed out at the swordsman. Taking a quick foot back, he then slithered back to this opponent, his blade moving fluidly with his forward step, the edge taking the giant across the forearm. His opponent recoiled reflexively and Falinor summoned the last reserved of his pathetic magic—just enough to partial form a fireball in the palm of his left hand—and the giant shrieked, his massive form scurrying back in sudden retreat.

Falinor cried out in feigned anger and rage—a feral magical attack intent on emulating the giant, who would have none of it as he lunged off of the sloop and into the water.

“Falinor!” Orvin called, and rushed through the mist at him.

“Take the wheel,” he commanded, and stepped past the other man who scurried to the stern. As the flames licked and spread over the decking and sails of their original boat, the boarding party screaming and howling in alarm, he called out to the princess—one, twice—

“I am here,” she called. Her boots thumped over the decking and she came to him, her eyes excited as the giants on what had been their stolen sloop continued shouting in alarm. Heavy splashes hit the water—splashes only jumping giants could make. “We did it!” cheered Harrkania.

Turning halfway, Falinor called to Orvin over his shoulder. “Keep us on course, Orvin!” He smiled with relief, then was nearly bowled over when Harrkania attacked him, her arms surrounding him in a powerful embrace that made him grunt in surprise and mild pain as he tried to keep his sword from nicking her bare arms or thighs.

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“I cannot believe it!” she cried excitedly. “Oh! Falinor—thank you!”

It was then that his sandals actually lifted off of the deck! He screamed. “Princess—you—are—crushing me!”

“Oh!” she dropped him, her hand going to her mouth. “I am so sorry.”

Shaking it off, he nodded.

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” he said, raising a hand. “I am fine.” Then a mischievous smile crossed her face. “What? What are you smiling like that for?” He glanced back at Orvin, but the man was too obscured by the heavy mist still hanging over the deck.

“I was just thinking how I nearly crushed you just as my cousin did during your mating.”

He blinked and Falinor swore he heard Orvin stiff with amusement. Harrkania gasped as if surprised she had said what she did, and a sudden awkward silence passed between them. The princess scratched at the back of her neck. “Oh! Rats. I lost my maul.”

“How did you do that?” asked Falinor, his interest in her lost maul far higher a priority than it would have been otherwise.

“I left it on the ship.”

“Then we will fashion you a new weapon.” He glanced about. “Or when this fog lifts, perhaps we will find a weapon for you aboard the ship?”

“Mm,” she noised with a nod.

They returned to Orvin at the stern, who was only half a dozen paces away. The sloops were moderately sized river vessels, but they were best for fishing or hauling goods down river. They were also used for moving men and attacking places on the riverside.

As they joined him, Falinor considered the plume of orange-yellow light from the rising sun and how it was now much larger than it had been before. The mist was also beginning to clear. Perhaps the small group would now be able to rest easy for a time, for there were no sounds of pursuing giants behind them. The river splashed quietly as the sloop cut across the water, each of them taking a moment after the intense skirmish aboard the docks and then immediately after on the boats.

Finally, Harrkania spoke first. “Falinor?”

He looked at her. “Yes?”

“How did you know your plan would work? I mean… how did you know there were not half a score of giants on the decks of this sloop we boarded?”

“Yes,” Orvin said, his tone curious as he looked to the swordsman for an answer.

“Battles are messy things,” said he. “They often require quick observations—and some luck.”

“You are saying that we got lucky?” Harrkania asked.

“That,” Falinor offered, “and I knew that not many giants had pursued us when the alarms were called at the docks. To pursue us so quickly, they couldn’t have assemble a proper attack force.”

“Oh,” she said, touching her chin with her finger. “Very smart thinking, Falinor! Do you think you could have been wrong?”

Taking pause for just a moment, he thought that it had been possible. “Sometimes a shot in the dark is all you have, dear Harrkania.”

She smiled, seemingly surprised at his choice of words in how he just addressed her. And then Orvin raised a finger as if giving a an impromptu lesson. “He who acts quickly, may also alter the course of his mistakes, therefore reaching a higher plateau of achievement than the man who takes action too slowly, or not at all.”

The giantess and the swordsman looked at him.

He shrugged. “Kehlinius Daros.”

“Who is that?” asked Falinor.

“Nevermind,” said Orvin. “But what you said… it brings up a point of concern I have,” continued Orvin seriously. “Do you think we can expect another sloop to pursue us, sir swordsman?”

Regarding the smaller man, he said, “Call me Falinor, Master Orvin.”

“Very well, Falinor. And my question?”

Falinor shrugged. “I do not know. I am a foreigner to these lands. I know very little of the Giant Isles.” They looked at him, listening to his words. Falinor glanced up at the giantess. “What say you, Princess?”

She put a hand on her chin. “Hmm.” Then she smiled, a mix of sheepish embarrassment and happiness as she spread her arms. “I have no idea.”

Falinor sniffed bemusedly. “Then we will keep our eyes open and our wits sharp, yes?”

“Indeed,” said Orvin with a nod. “Perhaps the princess has chosen wisely in you, sir—er—Falinor.”

“Now that I have two protectors,” proclaimed Harrkania, “it should not be a problem either way!”

“I am happy that you think so, Princess,” said Falinor, “but let us avoid the need to put that to the test if we can.”

She nodded. “Mm. I’m hungry.”

Falinor and Orvin glanced at one another, their eyebrows raised.