Have just read through your five chapters. Enjoying your work so far. Wanted to drop in and let you know of my presence, and looking forward to what you have in store for the future. Especially this up coming "action!"
Cheers!
I'm glad you like it, and I'm sorry for not replying to your comment before. As for that
action, I certainly hope I won't disappoint. Thanks for yet another feedback. It means a lot to have readers, especially for a newbie writers like me.
Chapter 6 - Roger
Assault parried the cruel waves of the Narrow Sea with ease. Flagship sailed well through the storm from the south. Black clouds from above were a sight to see, reflecting the anger of the Gods. They were angry at the pirates for the crimes they commited, and their punishment came in the form of a storm. Several ships of Tormo Cithien's fleet were sent to the bottom of the Narrow Sea by angry waves and cruel weather.
Punishment of the Gods indeed, Roger thought about septon Samwell's words he spoke before they departed Bloodstone as his eyes were focused on the island in front that looked like a small arrowhead. Pirate lord Tormo Cithien resides there with what's left of his pirate army. Roger led only half of the his total force to attack the pirate lord. He couldn't risk leading whole army, leaving Bloodstone and Wreckstone defenseless. With his fleet of ten ships, he sailed towards Sunstone. Tormo sailed out with his own fleet to met lord Reyne at the sea, but the storm sunk more than half of it. Pirate lord's flagship was sunk as well. Whether he survived or not was something Roger didn't know. Not like it mattered. Sunstone will fall, and with it, hundreds slaves liberated and another island brought under Roger's control. Since he already rules Bloodstone and Wreckstone, perhaps he should gift Sunstone to one of his loyal men.
Rupert has been with me since the beggining, Roger thought absently as storm raged all around him, thunders screaming in the distance. His ginger damp hair was glued to his head from the rain.
He'll be a good choice for a lord of Sunstone.
He smiled at the thought of Baldie being a lord. Roger imagined him in his keep with his family. It didn't suit Rupert at all, and lord Reyne smiled once again at the thought. Then he smiled at how both Rupert and him climbed high in the world. Just a year ago, they were ordinary two men who led a band of dozen men, stealing from slaver caravans all the way from Volantis to Disputed Lands. But now, after liberation of Sunstone, both of them will be called
lords. Being
lord Reyne was something Roger still didn't get used to.
That mattered little now. A battle was in front of them. Roger gripped the hilt of sword sheathed on his waist with his left hand, awaiting the battle impatiently, as his fleet slowly approached the docks of Sunstone, through the fury of the Gods. Soon, eight hundred men found itself on Sunstone, armed and thirsty of pirate blood. Ships were anchored safely at the docks and left in good hands. All that was left to do was to march uphill to the top of the island that resembled a little mountain, where Tormo Cithien -if he was even alive- awaited them in his walled keep.
Roger Reyne made a first step towards the Cithien keep, before he turned around to his men, unsheating his sword and raising it up in the air.
''I won't give you any sort of speech to raise your morale! I will just say one thing! Bring me their heads!'', lord Reyne gave an order.
A loud cheer followed and eight hundred men marched to battle. Cithien's keep on the top of the island was walled by wooden palisades with four towers at each corner. Itself being on the top of the island, defenders had an excellent advantage over the attackers. First, because attackers had to charge uphill. Second, it's always better to shoot arrows from above.
Liberation army marched in four columns. When defenders fire their arrows, soldiers with shields are supposed to block them as best as they can, after which archers will shot their own arrows at defenders, while they were protected by shields of the soldiers in front.
''Raise shields!'', Roger ordered as defenders fired a volley of arrows at them. Most of the arrows shot the shields, but few found it's way to the target. From what Roger could see, there weren't many archers on the towers. He didn't hesitate to give out another order. ''Archers!''
Hundreds of arrows were shot at defenders on the towers and over the wall. Screaming and cracking of bones could be heard as arrows found their marks and men fell from towers on the ground.
It took only one volley of arrows to clear out the defenders on towers, as they retreated afterward. Roger and his army were already at the gates of the keep, which were shut down to prevent them from entering. Gate was broken down with ease, and soldiers poured inside the keep.
Roger gripped the hilt of his blade harder and followed inside. Once he entered, he spotted defenders charging at them. One pirate screamed like a madman as he charged at lord Reyne holding large axe above his head ready to swing it. Roger dodged by shifting his weigth to his left leg and moving diagonally left, after which he swung his sword only once, cleanly in a perfect circle. Blood sprayed out of opening on pirate's neck as life was drained out of him once his body hit the ground. Two more pirates attacked the lord of Stepstones, but their endevaour was ended in short time. One was impaled through his chest while another one ended with a knife that entered his head through the eye, sticking out on the opposite side of the skull.
Blood sprayed everywhere and all kinds of noises could be heard as battle raged around young Reyne. Clashing of metal, shouting, screaming of men that met their deaths, all noises that Roger could never forget. Five bodyguards constantly followed him, ending every threat that approached him. It didn't take long for the fighting to quiet down, as there were not a lot of defenders left after last night's storm.
At least two or three more men fell to Roger's blade before he entered the great hall of Cithien pirate dynasty. Kicking the door open, he walked inside followed by his bodyguards and a lot more men. What he found inside was pirate lord sitting on his
throne with dozen of armed men, his bodyguards. His silver hair rested on his shoulders as he stared upon Asher with vengeful eyes. Sheathed sword was resting on his legs waiting to be unleashed. His men had their weapons already in their hands.
''Lord Cithien.'', Roger adressed pirate lord with a smile and bowed as he approached ''I would like to thank you for your hospitality. You're a most generous man I've ever seen.'' he mocked pirate lord, and a frustration could be well seen on his face. ''I came here as a guest, and you decide to give me a
whole castle as a gift? For that, I'd like to express my gratitude.'' he said and raised the blade of his sword, bathed in blood, towards Tormo Cithien.
''I have a gift for you as well.'' Roger finished with a smile.
Pirate lord widened his eyes as Roger's men shot their arrows, killing all of Tormo's bodyguards. Pirate lord found himself standing with a sword in his hand, shaking as he looked at Roger, who slowly walked towards him. Once lord Reyne stood only feet away from pirate lord, he said ''This is for all people who suffered because of you and your men. Die, lord Tormo. I hope gods will find strength to forgive you for your crimes, as I do not.''
Metal teared through Tormo as pirate lord was impaled through stomach, witch edge of the blade sticking out just below the neck. Tormo Cithien stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide opened and tried to say something, but only blood came out of his mouth. Roger used his leg to seperate his blade from pirate's body. He pushed, and pulled out his sword just as former pirate lord's body hit the wooden floor, his eyes still staring at the ceiling, reflecting light of the torches.
It was quiet in the hall. Not a single man said a word. They all just stared at their lord quietly. Roger took a deep breath and turned to them, pointing with his sword at the corpse of Tormo Cithien.
''This is fate that will befall every pirate lord on the Stepstones.
This is the cost of freedom. And that's why we fight.'' he said, followed by approval of his men, who mumbled something and nodded their heads. Rupert was among them, bloody in the crowd. He looked at his lord with a serious face.
''Rupert.'' Roger said, his eyes meeting Rupert's. ''Come here.''
Rupert the Baldie walked towards his lord, sheathing his bloody sword in the process.
''Sunstone is a large island, as you can see.'' Roger started ''A largest one after Bloodstone.''
''Yes, indeed.'' Baldie replied ''But what do you want to say with that?''
Reyne smiled and placed his left hand on Rupert's shoulder ''It's going to need a new lord.''
Rupert just stood there for a few moments, motionless and staring at Roger. Then he widened his eyes and stepped back. His mouth moved as if he was about to say something, but no words came from his mouth. ''What?'', he mumbled somehow in the end.
''From now on, you will rule Sunstone as it's lord. You can choose sigil and the name for your house as you see fit or by your own liking, which will be adopted by your successors after your days come to an end.'' Roger stated proudly at his friend and fellow lord, who kneeled in front of him.
''I don't know what to say.'' Rupert said in shock. He was sweating madly, and his bald head was shining on the light provided by the dozens of torches placed on the walls.
Lord Reyne smiled and ordered ''Stand, lord Rupert, and rule.''
Few days have passed since the liberation of Sunstone. Two hundred slaves were freed. Just like in Bloodstone, Roger offered freed slaves a choice. They can go and live their lives on their own as they see fit. Or they could stay on the Stepstones where they were imprisoned for many years of their lives and live as a free men and fight for a man that freed them. Nearly all of them chose the latter. Majority of them remained to live in the fishing village to the east of the keep on the shores of the island. A small group of freed slaves armed themselves with the weapons looted from the corpses of the pirates and manned the walls of Rupert's new keep, thus having the privilege of being the first soldiers of bald lord. Wooden gate of the keep was repaired the day following the liberation and another two towers in the fishing village were under construction, followed by several houses being built a bit more inland.
Rupert chose the name Jaswell for his house.
It has a nice ring to it. Rupert of house Jaswell, Roger remembered Baldie's words, and smiled at the new idea that entered his mind on how he should mock Rupert further when they see each other. Lord of Stepstones walked through the keep of Sunstone, overseeing the constructions that were being made. He sent the ravens to Bloodstone to inform them of their success. And it was quite a feat they acomplished. Three more ships were added to Roger's fleet, which he decided to be used as a merchant ships, once they establish trade routes with other parts of the world. During liberation of Sunstone, it was presumed that over seven hundred pirates were killed by both Reyne army and the storm that sunk pirate fleet. Vast majority of those soldiers found themselves on the bottom of the Narrowed Sea as the waves took them during the storm. Roger's losses were minimal. Twenty men.
''Lord Reyne.'' Rupert adressed as he walked towards Roger. His brown shirt was wet as he was sweating, both because of the hot noon sun and the fact that he worked with the rest of the labor.
''Lord Jaswell.'' Roger adressed him back and smiled ''I'd like to let you know that I'll be leaving tomorrow.''
''That's a shame.'' lord Jaswell said and sighed ''We still didn't celebrate this conquest as it should be celebrated.''
''I know. But the matters of our realm are more important. Did you decide for the sigil of your house?''
Baldie smiled and pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket, handing it over to Roger. Judging by it's harsh ends, it's just a piece torn away from a larger piece. Roger scanned it and asked with an eyebrow raised ''A golden eagle on a field of black? Not bad.''
Rupert smirked proudly ''Did you doubt that I'll choose badly?''
''No, but I hoped you'd take Baldie as the name of your house.'' Roger said and winked, trying not to burst into laughter as he saw Rupert's confused face. ''Lord Rupert of house Baldie. It has a nice ring to it, does it not? It should be a custom for every lord to be shaven bald. Bald lords of Sunstone. It has a nice ring to it indeed.''
Rupert tried not to show frustration on his face as Roger's mocking became much more frequent lately. As he calmed down, he sighed and asked ''What's our next target?''
''I don't know yet. First we must regroup our forces and fortify islands well if we don't want those pirates storming our islands when our backs are turned to them.'' lord Reyne explained.
''I can't wonder but ask, why did you leave more than four hundred men in Sunstone? I understand it's your capital, but Wreckstone doesn't have a half of it's defenses.''
''Eglantine is pregnant.'' was all lord Reyne said before he smiled. ''Few more months and I won't be only living Reyne anymore.''
Wide smile conquered Rupert's face as he spread his large arms and laughed ''Well, weren't you a busy one?'' he mocked as he laughed. Roger just smiled back at him, without answer. Then, the gates of the keep opened to let through a man with a panicked face running towards Roger. His clothes was torn and cut in many places, and wounds were visible on his skin. He was dirty and sweaty, but most worrying of all was the look of his face as he dashed towards Roger. Lord Reyne recognized the man as one of guardsmen of his keep in Bloodstone.
''My lord!'', man spoke as he fell on the dirt in front of Roger, unable to run anymore. He struggled to stand up, causing Roger to give an order ''Help the man.''
Two soldiers approached him and grabbed the man by his arms, helping him reach his stand. ''Speak.''
''Pirates...'' he struggled to speak ''...Bloodstone...''
Ill thoughts conquered Roger's mind and he felt something squeezing his heart. He approached the man in a rush, placing his hands on man's shoulders. ''What about them? Speak!''
''They've attacked out of nowhere...'' he spoke as he slowly regained ability to talk ''..we couldn't stop them. Lady Eglantine has been taken, along with the many others.''
Lord Reyne felt the fire burning inside his chest as he realised that his wife and heir have been taken by pirates. Retaining composure is going to be hard at the moment. So many emotions occupied Roger Reyne. Fear. Hatred. Doubt.
''Bloodstone has fallen?'' Rupert asked, still shocked by the news.
''No.'' man spoke as he breathed better now ''It was sacked only. Attack was repelle, but there are casualties. More than hundred men.''
''Damn it.'' Roger cursed in a low voice ''Do you know here these pirates came from?''
''Only that they sailed from the direction of Dark Den.''
''Then there is no reason to wait. Rupert, you can stay here and rule. Or you can come with me.'' Roger gave an order as he walked towards the gates already, as if he didn't wait for Rupert's answer.
''Come where?'' Baldie asked.
Lord Reyne stopped and turned around, his blue eyes meeting Rupert's ''You asked me what's our next target, remember? Follow me.''
xxx
So guys, here it is. Sorry for a long delay, but I finally found time to write it. I hope you'll like it and enjoy it.
Cheers.
