Shadow of a Dark Queen (64 page)

The night was dark, as swift clouds from the ocean blew in to the shore, keeping the moons' light masked. Only those of especially good vision might notice someone moving along the river's edge from any distance away.

Nakor sniffed the air. “Rain coming, I think. Tomorrow, almost certainly.”

Calis motioned and Erik turned and signaled the first company into the water. The plan was simple:
swim across the swift-running but shallow delta to one of the tiny islands near the city wall and look for a way to climb the southern breakwater and slip along atop it into the greater harbor. They would still strike for the southernmost quarter of the harbor, the shipbuilders' estuary. That small firth fed off the main river and joined with the larger harbor, to form a natural launch point for ships. Calis had complete intelligence from agents who had been on this continent for years, but he knew little about the harbor beyond that. It had never occurred to anyone else that the Emerald Queen might need a navy until Roo brought it up.

After the burning of the shipbuilding facilities, the plan was still simple: steal a boat and sail up the coast to the City of the Serpent River. Erik thought, not for the first time, that simple didn't mean easy.

The water was chilly, but Erik quickly got used to it. The men had wrapped their swords, shields, and armor for quiet, and some of the men had abandoned their heavier arms so as to be able to swim better.

The path taken brought them perilously close to both a picket of the Emerald Queen's host and lookouts in the suburb fortification. Torches on the walls showed clearly that the ruckus from the Queen's camp had alerted the garrison that something was up. Erik hoped they were all watching the lights on the top of the hill and not the rocky shore below their walls.

Every man in the company was a competent swimmer. Those that hadn't had the knack had been trained at the camp outside of Krondor. But when they reached the distant spot that marked their first meeting point, a small sandy island in the mouth of
the river, three men were missing. A quick head count showed thirty-two men on that island, exposed to view save for some tall grass and one lone tree. Calis signaled back into the water and Erik waited until everyone else was in before taking one look around for the three missing men, then he followed after the others.

The channel deepened and the current got stronger as they neared the city, and the water tasted saltier. A cough, sputter, and splash nearby were followed by a choking sound, and Erik knew someone else was in trouble. He swam toward the sound of splashing in the darkness, but as he reached the spot only silence met him. He glanced around in the gloom, then listened, and finally started swimming toward the distant shore.

Suddenly he skinned his knee and found he was clambering across an underwater islet. Then he was suddenly sucked downward and pulled back into a deeper, swifter current, and struggling to keep his head above water.

His armor weighed him down and Erik had to will himself to keep his head above water. He had trained for hours to swim with his sword and shield on his back, but nothing in training had prepared him for this nightmare of laboring through a wet inky darkness.

His chest burned and his arms felt leaden and he had to force himself to move forward. Lift one arm and throw it forward, and kick, lift the other and kick. He moved forward, with no idea how far he had come and how far he had left to go.

Then he heard a change in the sound before him and realized it was water lapping against rocks.
More, he heard men quietly coughing, cursing, and blowing water from their noses. He lashed out with his last vestige of strength and hit a rock face first.

Red light exploded behind Erik's eyes, then collapsed into a ball that receded away from him in a tunnel of inky blackness.

Erik choked, spewed water from his mouth and nose, then vomited. He turned over and struck his head against a large rock. Roo's voice sounded in his ear. “Don't! You'll knock your wits out of your silly head again. Lie still!”

Erik hurt. His body felt like one large cramp and he had never felt so foul in his life. “You drank a lot of ocean,” said Biggo, nearby. “If I hadn't been standing on the rock you swam into, I don't know if we'd have found you to pull you out.”

“Thanks,” said Erik weakly. His ears rang, and his face ached, and his nose hurt, and generally he wasn't certain he was glad to be alive.

Calis came and said, “Can you move?”

Erik stood, wobbly, and said, “Of course.” As much as he might like to sit for a while, he knew that the alternative to moving was being left behind.

Erik looked around. Then his eyes narrowed and he counted. Thirteen men stood on the rocks. Looking at faces, he turned to Biggo and said, “Luis?”

“Out there,” said Biggo, with an inclination of his head toward the river.

“Sweet gods,” said Erik. Thirty-two men had gone into the river, and only thirteen had made it across.

Sho Pi was nearby and he said, “Perhaps some of them are washed up at different places on the shore.”

Erik nodded. But he knew it was more likely they were swept out to sea or drowned in the river.

Erik saw they were out on the tip of the southern habor breakwater, a long finger of rocks built up to prevent tidal flow interfering with shipping in the harbor. Calis motioned and each man fell into line. They moved carefully along the heavy rocks piled high to form the breakwater. In the darkness the footing was dangerous. After about a half hour of moving slowly, they reached a flat road formed across the top of the stones. Nakor whispered, “They must pack dirt on it so they can bring more rocks out in wagons if they need to repair the breakwater after a storm.”

Calis nodded and motioned for silence. He pointed to a tiny light in the distance. There was a small building located a few hundred yards ahead, where the stone breakwater turned into a proper jetty. It was certain to be defended.

Glancing toward the harbor mouth, Erik felt his stomach contract. “Captain!” he whispered.

“I've seen,” came the answer.

Erik looked back and saw the others had followed his gaze and were now looking at the harbor. Three, ships had been sunk in the harbor mouth, to ensure no raiders from the invading fleet could enter the harbor; and, nestled like chicks against a mother hen, a flotilla of ships hugged the docks. But none of them looked to be of shallow enough draft to get past the hulks blocking the harbor.

The pair of guards in the watch building were vigilantly watching across the river, so they were taken without knowing that Calis had slipped up behind. Using only his hands, Calis quickly disabled both men and lowered them to the floor of the hut.

Motioning for the men to gather around, Calis said, “The orders are simple.

“We wait until the sounds of battle in the morning. The Emerald Queen may try to slip some small boats around the jetty, so there may be a few defenders heading this way, but most of the city's army will be on the northern walls, protecting the landward side of the city. Then we move straight up this jetty, head off left toward the shipbuilders' estuary, and fire everything in sight. If anyone tries to stop you, kill him.

“Then we head back to the main docks, steal a boat of as shallow draft as we can find, and try to get out of this mess. If you can't get back to the harbor, try to get out of the city on the northeastern side, and make overland to the City of the Serpent River.” He glanced from face to face. “It's every man for himself, lads. No one is to linger for a comrade. If no one gets back to Krondor, then this has all been for naught. If most of us are going to die, let's make it worth something.”

Grim nods of agreement were the only reply he received. The men took what shelter they could around the small hut and waited.

Erik shivered. He dozed, but the throbbing in his head made sleep impossible. He couldn't believe how tired he felt. And the throbbing in his nose drained him like no pain he had known before.

“It's broken,” said Roo.

“What?” said Erik, turning and discovering his friend could be seen in the predawn gloom.

“Your nose. It's a mess. Want me to reset it?”

Erik knew he should say no, but he simply nodded. Roo had been through enough street fights to
know what he was doing. Roo put his hands on either side of Erik's nose and, with a swift move, pushed the pieces into place.

The pain shot through Erik's head like hot iron spices. His eyes watered and he thought he would faint; then suddenly the pain drained away. The throbbing that had bothered him all night lessened, and he felt as if his face might not fall off after all.

“Thanks,” he said, wiping away tears.

A loud roar precluded any reply. It was as if the skies parted and a thousand dragons vented their rage. There came a hollow rush of sound like creation's largest waterfall echoing through a gorge, and a wind sprang up from the far shore.

“Oh, my!” said Nakor. “This is some trick!”

Across the river a giant light of brilliant white, edged in pale green, sprang up and arched across the river, slowly spreading and fanning out as it climbed into the sky. Men and Saaur riders moved tentatively upon it, then kicked their balky mounts forward. The horses moved slowly, following the rising bridge of light.

Nakor said, “Now we know why they massed near the mouth of the river across from Maharta—why no bridges. They're using the priests' spells to get the army across.”

Calis said, “We leave now!”

He rose and moved down the jetty. They reached the main dock area without incident, ignored by those on the dock, who were transfixed by the sight of the rising bridge in the sky across the river. Erik forced himself to pay attention to his leader, and pushed more than one man after Calis.

They ran through a series of narrow streets, along a thin neck of land, between bodies of water. Erik
had no sense of where he was, but he thought he might find his way back the way they had come.

Then they were moving left, down a major boulevard. A company of horsemen dashed past, dressed in white tunics and trousers, with red turbans and black vests. Another man similarly dressed reined in next to Calis a moment later and shouted, “Where are you going?”

“We have our orders!” Calis shouted back. “The estuary is at risk!”

The man seemed confused by the answer, but the incredible sight of a bridge of light rising across the river unnerved him enough that he accepted Calis's story and rode on.

They reached another street, which crossed the top of the one they were on, and Erik halted. Ahead was a dry dock. It loomed high into the sky, and upon it was the keel of a great ship pulled up for hull scraping. The wooden frame stretched back for what Erik judged a full four hundred feet, and the rear of the ship protruded out beyond that. He looked beyond it and saw the estuary, a mighty lake adjacent to the main harbor. The estuary was ringed by construction yards like this, forming a nearly perfect three-quarter circle around it. Either end was more than a quarter mile off.

De Loungville said, “Take some men and go that way.” He pointed off to the right. “Go to the far end, and start burning everything in sight as you come back. Try to get back to the harbor. But remember, it's every man for himself!” At the last, he reached out and put his hand on Erik's arm and squeezed briefly, then he was off running to the left.

Erik said, “You three,” indicating Roo, Sho Pi, and Nakor, the men nearest him, “come with me.”

As he ran, his head thundered, and he tried to ignore the pain. His knees were wobbly, but his heart pounded and his nerves were taut, and after a few moments he felt his head clear a bit.

Riders came speeding past, heading back the way Erik's men had come. He barely got out of the way of one man, who seemed willing to ride him down rather than control his horse. The expression on the guard's face told Erik this was no movement of soldiers under order, but men put to flight by terror.

Glancing skyward, Erik couldn't blame the men. The bridge now reached a quarter of the way across the river, and upon it stood thousands of Saaur, their battle cries carrying across the distance like a thunder peal without end.

Erik rounded a bend and saw two shipyards beyond where he stood. To Sho Pi, the nearest man, he said, “Get down there and fire everything. Nakor, help him.”

Erik grabbed Roo and moved to the hut before another gigantic cradle of wood. This one was empty. The door to the building was barred. He quickly made his way around it and found a single window. Looking in, he saw no signs of habitation. Using his shield, Erik smashed the window, and said, “Now put your size to good use.” He boosted his small friend through the window.

Roo hurried and opened the door and Erik said, “Anything to burn?”

“Some parchment and a torch. Got any flint?”

Erik reached into his belt pouch and pulled out some flint. Roo took it and his dagger and struck a spark on the torch, then nursed a small fire into life.

When it was burning, he pushed it down into the pile of parchment, until it caught; then they hurried out of the hut. Erik led Roo down to the base of the cradle, and saw a pile of old wood scraps. He gathered them by the base and had Roo set them alight. They burned slowly, with dark smoke, but at last a good-sized fire was started.

Erik glanced around and saw a little smoke from the far end of the estuary, but no sign of any major fires. He motioned to Roo to come along and they made their way to the next establishment, and found it guarded by a shipbuilder and his family. Three men of middle years, as well as four sons in their teens, stood ready to fight. They were armed with hammers and pry bars.

“Stand aside,” said Erik.

“What do you mean to do?” demanded the oldest man there.

“I hate saying this to any master of craft, but I'm putting the torch to your shop. That cradle and your tools go as well.”