Blacktail watched impassively from the deck of the Pikeshaft the battle that had sprung up around Meeting Island. The navies had not been caught off guard, and already a fierce naval battle was coupled with the land battle. A few Sea Horde ships had disgorged their crews to attempt to ambush the leaders in their meeting, slipping in a spy to say when the time was right. He could see much activity by the doors, signifying that the officers were breaking out of the hall, attempting to get back to their fleets. Blacktail could not see either the squirrel captain or Solan, which meant that either they had killed one another, or they were still fighting to the death inside. He could see the silver mouse, fighting at the front of the northern door. The stoat allowed himself a small smile. They would hit the resistance here. At its source.
Ryon fought for his life against Solan. Both were experts at the blade, but the amount of combatants in the room added to their opponents. Ryon repeatedly had to spin around and fend off or slay sea vermin that decided to try to take him from behind. Solan had to do the same. Solan's footpaw shot upward, kicking Ryon in the chin. The force put behind the kick made Ryon fly backward onto the table. The squirrel quickly recovered, and as Solan climbed onto the table, Ryon was ready. They continued fencing, moving back and forth across the table as their blades flashed and collided with each other. Ryon struck a fierce blow that spun Solan around. The marten slashed a mouse across the chest as he turned back in time to parry another hard blow. Ryon dueled like he had never dueled before, the swords of both creatures flashing blurs as they fought. Solan knew that he was in danger of being killed, and so stepped up his assault. His hard blows forced Ryon back to the edge of the table, and the squirrel was in danger of falling into the fighting, where he was sure to be either stabbed or trampled before he could recover. Solan swung a hard overhead blow, but was blocked by Ryon. The squirrel twisted the blade aside, spun, and sank his blade into Solan's back. The pine marten gasped, coughed slightly, falling forward onto the upraised spear of a searat. Ryon, breathing heavily, ran towards the north door, and, joining the crew, shouted above the clamor of battle. "Head to the ships!"
With a roar, the crews pressed forward, pressing against the searats fighting to block their way. The captains of the Five and other factions were not made captains for nothing. They fought like madbeasts, their swords cutting down vermin like reapers through corn. The lesser captains were just as skilled. The searats, now knowing that the element of surprise was as good as lost, began to fall back. This allowed the officers to push outward and onto the plains. The groups ran towards the ships, which, now that Ryon looked, were also engaged in battle. He narrowed his eyes. The resistance would have to push hard in order to escape from this ambush. The Vale Island officers ran pell-mell across the grass, eventually coming to the Javelin, which was riding close into the shore. As they piled onboard, Ryon began bellowing orders. Ships had moved out of the Javelin's path, both to provide their own ships with room to fight, and the other to try and break through the noose that the Sea Hordes were throwing around the island.
"Run out the ballistae and chasers! All sails forward! Step to it!"
The Javelin's crew snapped to, ducking as a flying rock flew between the masts that were amidships. Ryon snapped around, and saw the Pikeshaft moving towards them. Ryon narrowed his eyes. He then turned to the crew and bellowed again. "Prepare to broadside!"
The ballistae had been run out, and the Javelin was moving with all speed. Blacktail however, did not notice this. He urged the crew onward, lashing about with the flat of his sword. "Move faster, you slugs! I want that ship captured before it gets too far!"
A whistling noise filled the air. Two large rocks, launched from the starboard side of the Javelin, rocketed into the Pikeshaft, one hitting the mast and shattering it, the other crashing through the bow and out the stern. Crew leaped overboard as the mast fell over the railing, landing with a great whoomph as it hit the water. Blacktail watched the mast fall, and snarled. The Javelin would not be his today. He bellowed again. "First mate, flag the retreat for the strike force. Now!"
The mate, a rat, nodded. A flag bearing the Sea Horde crest (Two crossed cutlasses over a ship on a black field) was raised and lowered in a variety of ways. The retreat signal. Blacktail looked out on the island. Smoke was rising from the meeting hall, along with many ships that had been sunk on both sides. Longboats were gathering around some of these ships, picking up survivors. Blacktail saw the Javelin deploy its own signal.
Ryon looked upward at the Vale Island flag. It was raised and lowered twice. The signal to fall back to the captain's respective islands. The squirrel captain turned, and approached Silver. "Pull the fleet back to the island. We'll dig in there until we're ready."
The silver mouse nodded and walked away. Lucar and Birchleaf were sitting on the railing, cleaning their blades of blood. They had fought among the crew on the ships, and had accounted for a score between them when the Javelin's crew had boarded a searat ship. They had been among the first to swing aboard. Lucar looked up at Ryon, who was checking with the officers to see which crew members had been lost in the fighting. "I wonder what we're going to do now."
Birchleaf shrugged. "I don't know. The attack shocked them, but I think that they're going to regroup. We may have escaped from them at the moment; the Sea Hordes aren't going to give up easily. And they won't stop at the seas either. They'll want the land too. Redwall, Mossflower, the northlands, and Southsward. All of it."
Ryon walked up to the pair, interrupting their conversation. "We'll send messengers to the other captains to meet at the Green Maelstrom. It should be ideal for our stand."
Birchleaf looked up at him, an expression of shock on her face. "The Green Maelstrom? You can't be serious! That place is a deathtrap!"
Ryon's face was grave. "There's no other place, Birchleaf. Vale Island isn't big enough, and neither are the other islands. Meeting Island is compromised, and they'll probably expect us to appeal to Mossflower for help. We're sailing east for the moment, to meet up with the rest of the navy. Then we'll continue going east. I know for a fact that they have an outpost there."
Birchleaf and Lucar looked at one another. Both of their faces showed worry.
Sorry for how short this one is. I'll put up another to make up for it.