Kingdom's Fall

Chapter 19, Part 2

Below deck, Kara fumed. Aiden had made it sound sensible enough that she should go below when they first caught sight of the Islander ship, but as the day wore on she found herself unpicking his words. What had felt like a genuine concern in the excitement of the moment was turned inside out and discovered to be infuriating rather than comforting. How dare he send her below, as though putting away a favourite trinket for safe keeping. She could look after herself, and the thought that he somehow would be distracted by the need to protect her left a sour taste in her mouth. She was all set to march out of their cabin, right up onto deck and stick a flea in the man's ear when she noticed a change in the sounds of the ship. Instead of the familiar creak and whisper of the ship over the water, there was a tense murmur of voices, and the rolling, heavy sound of cargo being shifted. The sailors were readying cannon.

           

Kara armed herself in a hurry, tying her hair back and strapping on the short swords in their baldric so that she could reach back over her shoulder and draw them easily. She left the cabin, not entirely sure of where she was going to go, but sure of the feeling that forward motion, however meaningless, was appropriate. A sailor made to move past her, and she stuck a hand out to stop him. He looked at her as if realising for the first time that there was a woman on board.

           

"What's going on?" She asked. The man looked around, as if hoping for someone to appear out of thin air to countermand the question and order him to get on with his duties. He looked back to Kara.

           

"Islander ship, miss," he said, and made to continue on. Kara blocked his path.

           

"I know that already," she said. "What are the latest orders?"

           

The man nodded. "Captain's ordered us to ready charges, miss."

           

"Is that for the cannons I heard moving?"

           

"No, miss. Had to roll them away from the hatches, tie them up neat. Easier to lean out the hatches and drop charges on the Islanders that way."

           

"So we're waiting until they get right up against us? Couldn't we just shoot them with the cannons?"

           

The man bobbed his head in agreement. "Could do miss, but not my say-so. Captain wants to talk them first, like."

           

Kara thought about Siv, and how proud she had been. The threat of destruction wouldn't win the Islanders over; it would tip their hand against the Sparrowhawk. There had to be another way to do things.

           

"If you're going to drop charges," Kara said, "will that mean the Islanders will be right next to the ship?"

           

"Tight up against us, miss," the sailor said. "Now if you'll excuse-"

           

"Take me to the gun deck," she said. "I've got an idea about how we can use those hatches."

           

It didn't take long for the crew on the gun deck to come round to Kara's way of thinking. They were loyal to their captain, fiercely so, and she had been convinced that they were going to march her up on deck and accuse her of inciting mutiny right up until the point she outlined her plan. Once a cask of rum was involved, though, all hands present were swayed to her side of things. The assurance that Lord Baird, the rich, mad bastard who loafed about the deck like he owned the place would pay for the loss eased all consciences about broaching the damn thing. By the time the Islander ship was tied hard against the Sparrowhawk's flank, the men were in a jovial mood. By the time the Islander captain had clunked past on a rope, his feet kicking suspicious against one of the hatches as he went past, they were ready to share the wealth.