Fatefeul Voyage; A Tale of Albion - IV

IV


Caddan stood before Captain Wyndam and Sir Ward Wallace in the Captain's cabin. As the two older men talked in low voices, he gazed out of the glass window that showed a view of the sea from the stern of the ship. He thought of Trema, and wished he was back in the Inn in Cotswold with her.

"We've sent Blackhand over to the 'Phantom' ," Wyndam said to him, his face showing no emotion. "And from what we've heard from those on deck, he drew steel first."

"However. I will not tolerate any disputes aboard 'Lyonesse Victory' . Do I make myself clear, lad?" Caddan nodded and said "Aye Sire, ye do."

Ward Wallace winked slightly at him, and as Caddan left the cabin, he thought he had gotten off lucky. He walked along the deck, and spotted Livia, standing with her Wolf looking out at the waves. He walked up next to her and stood facing the railing, looking out upon the view with her.

"Thank ye, lass."

"It was all reflex, Sire."

"Bah, Ward is the only Knight aboard! Call me Caddan. And I'm sorry I got yer bow taken away."

Livia smiled slightly and stroked Wolf's fur. "It is only a temporary situation. We make landfall soon."

The sea gently rolled, gulls flying over the surface; here and there, a flying fish leapt from the water, through the air.

"I thank ye just the same. Iffen you need anything, count on the Griffons to back ye up, lass."

Caddan strode towards the hatchway to go belowdecks. Red Donald called out to him.

"Well now, McClannad! Ya make pretty good bait, ya do. Who's next gonna try an slit yer throat?"

"Watch it, Donald! Yer like ta get Sheymus after me, since he can't gather up Livia's arrows for her no more!"

Sheymus turned red as several nearby Griffons laughed.

The next day Caddan was in his hammock, sharpening his broadsword, when the cry rang out above. "Land!" The word spread belowdeck, and all, including Caddan, climbed the ladder to get a glimpse of the New Lands.

As the shoreline loomed larger, Caddan noticed how dense the forest grew, right up to the strip of beach. He saw no sign of inhabitants. The two ships turned course to sail along the shore.

Later in the afternoon, a small bay was sighted; two skiffs, small lateen-rigged ships, were anchored there. As they headed for them, a good-sized wooden fort came into view upon the shore, made up of tall logs spaced closely together; blockhouses were at the four corners of the square structure.

"Deliverance Bay," a sailor said as he was hauling in a rope.

Deliverance Bay, so named because its discoverers had been sheltered within its waters while a storm crashed against the coast. Caddan looked into the sky; clouds were forming for a storm of their own, it seemed.

The 'Lyonesse Victory' and the 'Phantom' dropped anchors in the bay, and the ship's boats were readied to transfer people to shore. Two boats came out to meet them from the shore near the fort as well.

Fort Deliverance was a shabby place. Everything was made out of rough-hewn timber, soggy due to frequent rains. Refuse lay in heaps in the yard. Guards walked the parapets and stood in the guardhouses; they looked as shabby as the fort. There was no sign of the fort's leaders.

As the Griffons moved into Fort Deliverance, Sir Ward motioned for Caddan to follow him. They walked out of the gates, into the field that had been cleared of all trees and brush for a space around the wooden pallisades.

"Lad," Ward said, "there's rumors about this place I don't like. And I'm not talkin' only about the warbands out in the forests. Keep the Griffons on their toes. Wyndam's a good man, but there are others round that don't wish us well. Many a the garrison here are outcasts and impressed petty criminals, and I am not sure I like the officers much more. Keep your sword close."

Caddan nodded wordlessly.

Back in the fort, the Griffons discovered their accomodations to be straw pallets in a long low shed against one of the fort's walls. "This looks more a stable!" said Carfryd. It looked to the Griffons like their former ship's hammocks weren't so bad, after all. They would be at the fort at least until the weather cleared up before sailing on up the coast to search

That eve, Caddan was out in the yard of the fort on an errand when he spotted the Ice Witch; she was in the two-story officer's house, looking out a window, an oil lantern glowing behind her, giving her an eerie look.

The next day, a drizzle was falling from the darkened sky. Caddan was up on the parapets huddled in his cloak when he heard a yell from a blockhouse; men ran along the walkway at the top of the wall.

In the field in front of the gate, a man limped into view. Two guardsmen left a sally port in the gate and ran to him, carrying him between them, as those on the walls looked on.

Sir Wallace appeared in the yard. "Griffons! At the gates!" The Griffons ran to comply, and the gates were open enough to let them out. As they gathered around, Red Donald yelled, "Shieldwall!", and the men fell into a broad formation, those with shields overlapping theirs with their neighbors. Several men ran off to the edge of the field in the direction that the limping man had come from; Livia and two other Scouts faded into the trees, Wolf close behind them.

Caddan stood in the shieldwall, next to Carfryd and Sheymus. He looked up; the sky was boiling now, the wind was picking up, and the rain started falling harder. Suddenly, the day was split open by a lightning bolt flashing across the sky. As the thunder rolled away, he heard shouting and the clank of steel in the woods ahead of them.

Suddenly, the men who had dashed into the woods ran back into the clearing; one was being supported by another. "Advance!" came the yell, and Carfryd nudged Sheymus and grinned from under his helmet. The shieldwall moved forward.

From the edge of the clearing, visible through the rain; dark figures appeared; short javelins flew suddenly towards them, most rattling off the shields, and then many skin-clad men suddenly darted towards them, holding wicker shields and spears. The Highlanders in the shieldwall gave a yell and surged forward; the clash was furious, with the Griffons sending the other men reeling back, spears and light shields splintering under Highland steel, a few upon the ground, dead or dying as the Highlanders stepped over them. The rest retreated back into the woods; Caddan saw one man fall, an arrow protruding from his side. The others ran off in the woods.

"Halt!" cried Red Donald. The Griffons stopped at the wood's edge. "Caddan, Derval, take a look lads," and Caddan was off, along with a tall Griffon. They advanced slowly into the trees; they found two dead warriors, and a third maoning. As Derval rolled him over, his eyes went sightless. Livia strode up silently, Wolf at her side, her bow at the ready. Caddan nodded to her.

They backed their way into the clearing, where the shieldwall stood down. "Headin' into the woods ta fight on their terms, I think not," Red Donald was saying as they headed back towards the gate. It was pouring rain now; the men ran for shelter. A few searched the bodies of the dead.

Back in the barracks, Caddan heard Red Donald telling the others: "The man who made it back ta the fort...he was the only survivor of a patrol, apparently. Sir Ward said he was let go by someone known as 'the Avalonian', to send a message back."

Someone asked him what the message was; Red Donald smiled and said, " 'Leave or die.' And we sail soon as the weather clears ta look for 'em."