Page 88 (1/1)
“I should fetch sohness,” Iltis said “Their arroere many at the Teeth if you recall”
“I recall very well, my lord But that won’t be necessary”
Lyrna watched the Volarian ships coe of about five hundred yards She glanced towards starboard, taking satisfaction fro ready at their own engine She could only hope he had been properly taught how to use it A glance towards the stern confir in an orderly narrow line, every deck croith soldiers and pirates
The port-side ballista began to clatter as the Volarian ships closed, casting its bolts at the rigging of a s into their path At first the arcing fountain of projectiles seeht of a figure tu fro an instant cheer from the ballista crew Soon, however, the Volarian archers were able to bring their oeapons into play, a shower of arrows thu into the Queen Lyrna fro an ared to control an instinctive flinch Fear is a luxury today They need to see a queen
The port ballista continued to clatter, the creinding thewith excitement at the effect on the Volarian vessel, his first bolt striking with sufficient force to pin a man to the deck A dozen or more close-packed Free Swords fell as the archers in the Queen Lyrna’s rigging soon joined in, wreaking havoc on the warship as it veered away, littered with corpses
A whooshing roar dragged Lyrna’s attention back to the bohere she was greeted with the sight of Alornis raising the engine to its full elevation, a strea Volarian ship It was one of their troop-ships, only slightly s assailing the speed At first Alornis’s fire-streah stea ship However, when it cleared, they were rewarded with the sight of a blaze covering her bow from sea to rail The Volarian ship see abruptly like a wounded boar shying frolower on the two soldiers working the bellows “Puine as the Volarian vessel ed in their path, unleashing another torrent of fla to sweep the deck, igniting an to leap froh the thickening s flesh Alornis faltered then, her hand falling fro her features
Lyrnaa hand on her shoulder and turning her “A burden not to be shirked,it firot “To your duty, if you would”
An arrow caine, its steel head shattering on the iron fittings as it spun away Alornis barely seemed to notice, her pale face still frozen as she nodded and returned to her task, altering the angle of the engine to cast fla around the ship, buckets in hand as they fought fla was ablaze and her crew began to abandon ship with a frenzied alacrity,flames as they tumbled into the sea by the dozen
Lyrna cast about for another victi warship some two hundred paces off the port bow “Tell the captain toback to Alornis “My lady, I believe your engine requiresthey had burned their way through the centre of the Volarian line, dividing their fleet in two and sowing chaos and panic in every sailor and Free Sword to witness the spectacle of a dozen warships blazing in the gathering dark But the battle didn’t end Although their cohesion had been lost, the Volarians fought on, shipsin their wake or storh to mount an assault on the Queen Lyrna Her hel her around just beyond the range of Alornis’s device, then hauling the tiller to slam into the Queen Lyrna’s starboard side, her co across despite appalling losses inflicted by the ballista and the archers above
Lord Nortah’s company met them head-on before they had seizedwith a disciplined ferocity that did great credit to theirThe Lord Marshal hi their for with an unconscious skill and precision Lyrna hadn’t seen since her days with Brother Sollis His war-cat fought at his side, reaping death with every swipe of its claws With the Varitai all hacked down or forced over the side, Nortah rallied his soldiers into a tight wedge and led the crew as they mounted a desperate stand around theby the nuhness!” A sailor ca to port “Captain Larhten begs to reportdusk, s scant relief, it seems She looked to the east where the Red Falcon could be seen, fire spouting froulf a Volarian troop-ship Beyond herene balls as the onels did their deadly work
“Tell the captain to turn west,” she told the sailor “And signal the Realm vessels to follow us Our allies have this matter in hand”
Unfortunately, it was clear an unseen hand still exercised some form of command over the Volarian fleet, and felt no desire to allow her to confront the latest threat A squadron of ten vessels separated froh towards theed to place the about to face the the air between theether and stood still as the air buzzed about her, a bolt flicking through her hair just below the ear Iltishis ar hirazed his forearaze to Alornis as she finished refuelling the engine “The last of the oil, Highness,” she reported, her voice as devoid of expression as her face
“Don’t spare it, er impression than a scorched one”
The first Volarian ship to coht than the Queen Lyrna and Alornis was obliged to depress the spout of her engine as she swept by, liberally dousing her in fla the now-faed another fulsoer troop-ship well supplied with ballistae and archers The strea but not before they had killed a dozen orthe port ballista
Lyrna turned to see the last dregs of fire dripping fro an apologetic bow Lyrna pointed her towards the now-silent ballista
Despite the fla at its ropes and sails the Volarian troop-ship maintained its course, a full Free Sword battalion asse up the rest of his regiment but saw that the Lord Marshal had anticipated the need, the soldiers running to form ranks with remarkable precision despite the confusion all around
The port ballista clattered into life oncewhilst Davoka worked the handle Lyrna followed the flight of one bolt as it streaked across the gap to claim the life of a Volarian Free Sword officer who had unwisely chosen to stand tall at the rail, no doubt as an example to his hness!” It was Larhten, calling fro beyond the Volarian ship Lyrna blinked away the s through the haze The King Malcius, she saw as the view cleared Fitting thatMalcius ca a shower of fire arrows at the Volarian troop-ship before she ploughed into her starboard hull with a splintering crunch The fires now littering the sea painted the subsequent spectacle with flickering shadows, the sight of a host of steel-cladMalcius to assail the Free Swords seehtht of a burlyhi and falling with deadly effect At his side was a taller and ether they hacked their way the length of the ship, their knights following in a thrashingthe Free Swords back with such murderous zeal most chose the scarce safety of the sea rather than stay to fight on By the tiside the troop-ship the two figures were standing at her port rail, rereet her with a bow