The voyage had been a pleasant one. That was his first worry. The seas were smooth, and the wind was brisk. Even with how loaded down the ship was with grain, they were making excellent time.
The captain had decided to take a short cut back to Mithtree. A short cut that took them much closer to bandit territory than he would have liked, but the captain was optimistic due to the success of the trip so far. That was his second worry.
The ship had been re-purposed from an old warship, which meant it had a lot of gun ports. But since it was a merchant vessel now, it only carried three small cannons. And he had doubts that any of the crew knew how to use them.
That was his third worry.
Ace stood at the bow, leaning against the rail as he pondered. It might just be his paranoia, but he just couldn't shake the feeling of impending disaster. Here they were, in disputed waters, on a ship loaded with crops, and no way to defend themselves should they come under attack.
He blinked and straightened up. He could have sworn he was seeing a black speck on the horizon. A glance up at the crow's nest showed the watchman dozing at his post. He gave a huff of disgust and turned back again, squinting at the speck. It could be nothing, but the hair on the back of his neck bristled.
On the one hand, he could alert the others. Maybe the captain. Not that it would help if there was trouble on the way. And it could raise suspicions about him. Which he definitely did not need.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" a loud, cheerful voice broke into his tense silence. He resisted the urge to jump and managed to turn slowly.
"Indeed," Ace answered. "Though isn't the captain taking us through a usually dangerous route? Seems strange for an unarmed merchant vessel."
The gentleman who was also a passenger who had boarded at the ship's last stop, stepped forward with a smile. "Not at all. I actually think it shows brilliance on the captain's part. As an unarmed merchant vessel we pose no threat. Why would they care? What could we possibly do to them?"
He eyed Mr. Waters skeptically before turning back to the bow. The black speck had grown and he was almost certain now that it was a ship. "You don't think the cargo would hold any interest? Especially seeing as it's virtually unprotected?"
The man waved the idea away. "Nonsense. What would they want with grains, spices, and fruits? Thieves are only interested in valuables."
"Perhaps you're right," he mused. The black object was getting closer rather fast and he could make out the shape of sails. Still no call from the lookout.
"Relax," Mr. Waters assured him. "We'll be back in Mithtree in no time with the speed we're making. Enjoy the trip."
Does no one see the approaching ship? He turned away. It wasn't flying a flag either. Trouble.
He stretched and faked a yawn. "Perhaps you're right. I think I'll go take a nap for a while. See you at mess."
He'd barely made a few steps when he heard it. The boom of a cannon and the whistle of the cannon ball. It flew past him and crashed through the mainsail's boom, littering the deck with splintered wood.
With a running leap, he jumped off the forecastle deck and took what scanty cover the stairs offered. More cannons boomed, the loads exploding water around the ship.
At least I'm not the only one aware of it's presence now, he thought. Now if we only had enough cannons to fight back and try to out run them somehow.
Captain Swiftkey was on deck, shouting orders for the crew to run out their three small cannons. But the crew weren't trained for fighting like that. They ran back and forth, confused and scared. The captain's shouting only made it worse.
