Chapter Four
I escorted the Duke to my cabin to rest and borrow a change of clothes, and quickly returned topside, glad to see we'd finished burying the dead, and would soon have Swanwhite and Hawk in port. Once these things had been seen to, Cap, myself, Wilkins, and the Duke met in my cabin for dinner.
"The pirates landed three days ago. They killed or drove off or captured everyone in the city Sir Martin. And these aren't the only pirates. There's more of them- a whole fleet of them. I'm certain that they're either receiving support from or being sent by someone from Calormen. Look at their equipment. Their mail, their scimitars, the design of their vessels, everything points at the Calormenes being involved to some degree."
I refilled my goblet with the Telmarine wine Susan had sent along. Why does she keep giving me her would-be husband's gifts? I'll take a true Narnian wine any day.
"Quite the plan that. They technically are not violating their truce with us, since the ships are flying the pirate flag. Any evidence that they're Calormene backed is simply the result of a ship being stolen, an armoury raided, or a crew mutinying- a sad occurrence to be sure, but hardly the Tisroc's fault. Where is this fleet located?"
The Duke leaned forward, and scratched the three-days stubble still clinging to his chin.
"Last I heard they had been raiding shipping near Terebinthia. And it's not just Narnian shipping Sir Martin. It's also shipping between the islands themselves."
I raised an eyebrow at this.
"So, not only are they weakening Narnian naval strength and trade, but they're undermining Narnia's authority in the islands and creating distrust between the islands. The Galmians think the ships are Terebinthian, or from the Lone Islands. The Lone Islanders think the ships are Terebinthian or Galmian, etc, etc. A brilliant- and fiendish- scheme. Rabadash may be Ridiculous, but he is certainly still dangerous."
The next morning Wilkins and I proceeded to the Duke's castle, while Cap and a large portion of the crew began repairing the damage done by the pirates. Fugitives needed shelter, food, and water. Livestock needed to be caught, houses needed to be repaired, and I needed information. One pirate vessel was a small nuisance, while a large fleet of them was a serious threat.
"You have a fine library my Lord Duke."
"It's nothing really. Particularly when compared to that of Cair Paravel, I'm sure. I shall at once send one of our fishing ships back to the Cair with the information we've gathered, with a particular warning to King Edmund about possible Calormene involvement in these raids. I'm afraid they won't be able to depart until tonight, since the nearest unburnt port is several hours West of here."
The Duke then unlocked a drawer in his desk, and handed me several dispatches.
"As you can see, the pirates have been doing more than a little damage. Lord Maturin reports that more than one Archenlander has drifted to shore, the lone survivor of one of their attacks. The last sighting of their main fleet was just South of Terebinthia, and that was five days ago."
"We must act quickly, Lord Duke. Every vessel you can spare must be made ready at once to sail after these pirates, and word must be sent to Lord Maturin asking for aid as well. There must be no division among the islands if we are to combat this threat effectively until aid can arrive from Narnia."
Wilkins and I were enjoying a rather sombre tea when the messenger ship returned, bearing a sealed dispatch from King Edmund.
"Martin,
It will take several days to gather the fleet. Once this is done, I shall lead it with all speed to Terebinthia. In the mean time, you must attack these pirates and throw them off balance. Susan is handling the Calormen envoy now, and he hasnt the slightest inkling that we know of Calormene involvement. Act swiftly my friend, and may Aslan guard you.
Edmund, King Just, Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of Western March, etc, etc.
P. S. Dont do anything too foolish. The others will strangle me if you get hurt, and I shall be certain to strangle you before they do."
Good old Edmund, always wry and laconic.
"Well Wilkins, it's both good news and bad. Edmund is on the way, but we must hold our own for a while."
"The levees have reported in promptly, and these Galmians look like they'll make good fighters, if inexperienced ones."
"Courage is not enough. It's discipline that wins the day."
"Then we'd best hope King Edmund hurries his arrival."
A/N: Edmund does not use apostrophes in one syllable conjunctions because I envision him (and Narnians in general) using the spelling of Victorian England. This has its basis in the fact that Frank lived during the mid-late Victorian era, and would have used this type of punctuation.
Regards,
-AoR