Shadows Beyond

Chapter 10

Emtani had witnessed the grisly scene from the top of the bales. If only Tagg had not pressed his knife into her hand before jumping down to the deck, he might have stood a chance.

She stared in horror at the unconscious Tagg and the dark pool of blood expanding across the deck and did not notice ZefShad silently arriving by her side, stepping over TagShad who had collapsed after taking out Sydd.

The boatmen picked Tagg up, one by his shoulders and the other by his feet.

It was at this moment she spotted Zeff emerging from the gloom. With head down and heedless of his injured leg, he ran full pelt at the nearest boatman, thudding into his back, but too late. There was a loud splash. Tagg had been pitched overboard.

With a roar of fury, Zeff landed two punches as the boatman regained his balance. One was into the boatman’s midriff and, as he buckled, the other landed on his chin, knocking him out cold. At the same moment, ZefShad jumped down from the bales onto the other boatman and wrestled him to the ground, kicking him in the head to render him unconscious.

Already Zeff was hanging over the side of the boat, shouting, ‘Tagg! Tagg!’

Emtani jumped down and joined Zeff leaning over the gunwale, searching the black water with him. ‘I bain’t see him.’ She looked at Zeff, expecting him to dive in and it suddenly struck her. ‘Bain’t you swim?’

Zeff looked at her in dismay and shook his head. ‘Neither can Tagg.’

Without hesitation, Emtani pulled off her boots and wolf-skin gilet, jumped up onto the gunwale, bent her knees and dived in.

The bitterly cold water knocked all the breath from her. Shock momentarily rendered her unable to move, but she quickly regained her senses, took a breath and started swimming around, searching.

Tagg was nowhere.

Taking another deep breath, she dived below the water. Her eyes were open, but it was inky black and all she could do was feel with her hands until she felt her lungs might burst. She then broke the surface and gulped in some air.

A light shimmered on the water. Zeff had tied a rope around his waist and was hanging over the side with a lantern while ZefShad was tying the other end to a metal ring. Treading water and turning a full circle, Emtani used the light to scan the water.

‘There!’ Zeff suddenly shouted. She followed his pointing finger to a lump in the water and, with a clean stroke, struck towards it.

Tagg was face down.

As she reached him, she pulled him onto his back and, putting her arm around his neck and hand under his chin, she rested his head on her shoulder and started sculling backwards towards the boat.

Zeff was hanging even further over the side, horizontal to the water, with only his feet in contact with the gunwale, holding out both arms towards his brother. As she drew near, Zeff grabbed Tagg and, with the sort of strength that overtakes a man in a crisis, heaved him high enough for ZefShad to haul him on to the deck. Zeff then put out his hand towards Emtani who, gratefully, grabbed hold. He heaved her high enough to take hold of the rail and left her clinging with frozen fingers.

By the time she had clambered on deck, Zeff was kneeling next to his brother with his ear to Tagg’s chest.

Tagg was white faced and not breathing.

Zeff rolled him onto his side and thrust his fingers down Tagg’s throat.

Nothing happened.

Zeff looked frantic, as if not knowing what to do.