30

It was the Ratguard Captain Vorto who sighted the fireglow further north up the shore. The embers formed a small island of red light in the waning night. He pointed it out with his spear. “Princess, look, there’s fire burnin’ up ahead!”

Not to be outdone, Riggan was pointing also. “There’s a ship beyond the tide line yonder, looks like Cap’n Plugg’s Seascab.”

Kurda looked from the fire to the ship, quickening her pace. “Yarr, dat Plugg moved der ship down, she vas anchored further up north, de odder side of dat big hill. I soon find out vot he is playink at!”

Pawsore and weary, the Ratguards were forced to break into a run in order to keep up with her. She checked her pace without warning, scowling as Vorto ran into her back. Kurda’s glance was fixed on the stern end of the Seascab. Suddenly she was pointing with her sabre and dancing about in agitation at what she could see.

“Mine boat, it is sailin’ avay, dey be stealing it back again, dose slaves!”

Riggan watched the sail go up as the small, elegant craft heeled away from the larger vessel. “See, marm, I told ye I’d lead yer to ’em sooner or later.”

The sabre hilt smacked into the slavecatcher’s chin, sending her sprawling. Kurda kicked and berated Riggan. “Idiot! You haff not led me to dem, dey are escaping!”

She dashed off up the beach, yelling hoarsely, “Plugg, stop dem, de slaves are makin’ off mitt der boat!”

Kurda came storming into the Freebooters’ camp, tripping over the unconscious Tazzin. Slitfang and the others, roused from sleeping around the fire, staggered forward, yawning and scratching.

Ripper the searat, no respecter of royalty, snarled irately, “Yew ain’t in command ’ere, we takes orders from Cap’n Plugg!”

A whack from Vorto’s spearhaft sent him sprawling. The Ratguard captain yelled at the sleepy Freebooter crew, “Then ye’d best get the sand out o’ yore brains an’ let Plugg know that a vessel’s bein’ stolen by slaves!”

The Seascab’s crew began milling about, bumping into one another.

“Where’s the Cap’n? Find Cap’n Plugg, somebeast!”

“Look, they’re makin’ off wid ’is new sailin’ boat!”

Grubbage stared about in bafflement. “Wot’s all this got t’do wid a blue trailin’ coat?”

Kurda seized the deaf steersbeast by the scruff of his neck. “You come vit me, lunkhead. Vorto, get everybeast aboard de big ship, ve vill catch dem ourselves!”

Triss watched from the stern as the small vessel was swept westward on the outgoing tide. “I can see Kurda—she’s driving them all aboard the Freebooter ship. We’d best put on a turn of speed, they’ll be coming after us as soon as she gets under way!”

Shogg and Kroova were sharing the tiller between them, whilst Sagax and Scarum took up the slack in the ropes until the mast creaked and the sail billowed tautly on the breeze. Shogg peered grimly at the grey breaking dawn.

“We’re goin’ to sail out west, then turn an’ take ’er back into shore among the reefs. Wot d’ye say, Kroova?”

The sea otter watched as the Seascab’s sails began unfurling to catch the wind. “I think yore right, mate, that big ship’d soon run us down in open water. Tack an’ weave through the rocks an’ shallows. But we’ve got to draw ’er away from the shore first. All the vermin are aboard ’er—they can’t be left on the beach, where they can wade in an’ cut us off!”

“Oof! You keep der boat still, I bang mine head!”

Prince Bladd crawled out from under the stern seat, where he had been sleeping. The Pure Ferret gazed up at them. “You not Ratguards or Freebooters, vere you come from?”

He attempted to rise, but Triss kicked him flat. “Well, well, look who it is. We’re asking the questions now. How did you get here? Speak!”

Bladd tried to scuttle back beneath the seat as Triss drew her dagger, but Shogg cuffed his ear sharply. “Lay still, an’ answer the question!”

Bladd glanced at the unconscious form of Plugg and began to whimper. “Dose Freebooters, dey alvays teasin’ me. I come here for der bit of peace und quiet, sleep under der seat. I am der Royal Prince, who are you?”

Triss tapped Bladd’s nose with her blade. “You don’t remember us, do you? Well, and why should you? We were only two miserable slaves, imprisoned at Riftgard just for the pleasure of your family. You hardly knew we were alive, save for the times you kicked us out of your way, or had some guard beat us for not bowing to you!”

Recognition dawned on Bladd’s stricken features. “You der slaves who steal diss boat from Riftgard. Please, it vas mine sister who put you in der cage, not me, no no!”

Scarum called to them from his perch on the bows, “I say, you chaps, don’t like to butt in on your jolly old reunion, wot. But I rather think those villains are hard on our trail. If we don’t shift ourselves, they’ll be dropping in for tea shortly, wot.”

Shogg grinned wolfishly. “Mayhap we’d be better lightenin’ our load by sendin’ these two fer a swim.”

Kroova took a backward glance at the progress the Seascab was making. The big ship was gaining bit by bit.

“Not right now, mate. If’n I ain’t mistaken, there’ll be archers an’ slingers firin’ at us from ’er bows, soon as they get in range. Tie those two up an’ sit ’em both back ’ere.”

Scarum wiggled his ears. “Super wheeze, old lad. Right, you two unsavoury types, prepare to defend our vessel!”

Kurda braced herself in the bows of the Seascab, holding tight to the bowsprit riggings. “Vorto, bring up de archers, diss ship be close enough soon. Den I slow dem up a bit. Yarr!”

Tazzin climbed up alongside Kurda, rubbing at a lump the oarpole had raised. “Look, they’re up to somethin’!”

Hurrying to their positions, Ratguard archers set shafts to their bowstrings. The Seascab hove closer to the small craft. Riggan’s sharp eyes identified the two figures sitting upright and bound on the vessel’s stern seat.

“Marm, ’old yer fire, that’s Prince Bladd an’ Cap’n Plugg!”

An evil smile lit up Kurda’s pink eyes. “Yarr, so ’tis. Who needs dem—I don’t.”

The business edge of Plugg’s battle-axe prodded Kurda’s spine. Slitfang’s voice ground out menacingly, “I don’t care about yore fat stoopid brother, but Plugg Firetail’s our Cap’n. One arrow from yore guards an’ I’ll make two of ye with this axe, believe me, yer royalness!”

Kurda never turned around, her body trembling with rage. “Scum, you vill die for diss!”

Slitfang prodded a bit harder. “Aye, but not right now I won’t, missie. I’m givin’ the orders, ’cos I’m Cap’n when ole Plugg ain’t aboard the Seascab. Tell ’em to stow those weapons.”

Kroova whispered urgently to Shogg, “We better do somethin’ fast, mate, afore they ram us! That ship’s too big, an’ she’s comin’ up too fast.”

Shogg sniffed the air and dabbled a paw over the side. “Yore right. Give it a moment!”

A stream of curses came from the wakened Plugg. “Blister yore blubberin’ guts, streamdog. The tide’s startin’ to turn, ye connivin’ plank-tailed pup!”

Shogg laughed. “Thankee for backin’ up my judgement, Cap’n. Yore right, the tide is turnin’. Good’n’heavy, too. Right, mates, ’ang on tight, ’ere we go. Kroova, take the tiller. Send ’er round with all ye’ve got. Haharr, haul on those port lines, Sagax, ’tis our turn to slow them up a bit now!”

Spinning almost on her own keel length, the little craft did a nimble half-circle turn, running a semicircle round the big, ungainly Seascab.

Slitfang roared back to Grubbage, “Take ’er round, they’ve turned tail on us. Take ’er round!”

Tazzin’s shout cut across the command shrilly. “Slitty, git ropes out! That streamdog’s just pushed the Cap’n an’ Prince Bladd overboard. They’re in the sea!”

Shogg had cut Plugg and Bladd’s bonds before he kicked them off the stern into the waves. Both beasts were floundering, waving wildly as the Seascab’s bow waves washed over them.

“Bring ’er about! Glubbleubble! Throw me a line, ye swabs!”

“Gallugallug! Help, I’m drownink, I cannot svim!”

Slitfang kept the battle-axe pressed against Kurda’s spine. “Cap’n’s in the water, bring ’er about quick! Ripper, Scummy, get those lines to midships. Yew ’ang on, Cap’n, we’ll get ye out o’ there!”

Kroova sent the vessel skimming and skipping over wave-crests, sailing dead east on the powerful sweep of a heavy running floodtide. Triss bared her teeth as she watched Bladd and Plugg being hauled aboard the Seascab. “I would’ve liked to have tied a stone to that white ferret’s paws!”

Shogg winked at the squirrelmaid. “No ye wouldn’t, Triss, yore made o’ better stuff than that. When the right day arrives, we’ll take our revenge face-to-face an’ sword-to-sword.”

Triss’s paw trembled as she patted her friend’s back. “You’re right, Shogg. I just felt so angry at letting him go that I had to say something. Right now we’re relying on you and Kroova to lead them a dance around the reefs and shallows, where they can’t follow us.”

Shogg sat down next to Kroova and placed his paw on the tiller. They looked ahead at the pounding surf breaking on the shore.

Shogg spoke. “Due east, dead ahead, eh, mate?”

Kroova nodded. “Dead ahead it is, mate, let’s do it together!”

Sagax was bending his back, straining against the humming sailropes, when he straightened up, alarmed. “Dead ahead will take us crashing straight onto the shore. You’ll run us aground!”

Triss blinked against the sun rising in splendour to the east. “Oh, no it won’t. I know what you rascals are up to. Tell him, go on.”

Both the otter’s paws were clasped on the tiller, as Kroova told Sagax what was on their minds. “There’s one place that big ship don’t ’ave a chance o’ follerin’ us, mate. Straight up the stream across the shore!”

Scarum’s ears stood straight up in alarm. “I say, steady on chaps, bit risky, ain’t it? What about the jolly old Stopdog? I know she’s burned out, but the blinkin’ wreckage is still lyin’ in that stream. I mean, won’t that stop us, wot?”

Shogg kept his eyes on the coastline ahead. “Not at the rate we’ll be goin’, mate. I ’ad it in me mind to do this afore we ever boarded this craft to rescue ye. It’ll take all of me an’ Kroova’s skills, but we’ll run on that floodtide like a pike after a waterfly. We’ll either crash through that wreckage or sink. Either way, ’tis the best course to leave Plugg’s ship be’ind!”

Scarum looked around for something to nibble on, but could find nothing in the way of food to comfort him. “Good grief, is that really the plan, Kroova?”

The otter nodded. “Once we’re past that wreckage, we’ll row an’ sail into the woodlands, through the stream current. It’ll be tough goin’, so git yoreself ready for action.”

The young hare’s ears drooped mournfully. “Huh, should’ve told old Pluggface to pack us a lunch. I’ll face any jolly thing on a full stomach, y’know.”

Triss could not help chuckling as she asked Sagax, “How could anybeast think of food at a time like this? Is Scarum always hungry?”

The badger answered the question with another question. “Does night follow day?”

Kurda was still perched on the Seascab’s bows, watching the smaller craft’s progress. She turned anxiously to Plugg, who was standing nearby, draped in a blanket and swigging hot grog.

“Dey go straight ’head, sailink for der stream, you t’ink?”

She recoiled as the silver fox belched a fraction from her nose. He did not seem unduly worried. “Aye, that’s their liddle game. At first I though they’d sail in among the reefs, but they couldn’t stay there forever. We’d be circlin’, waitin’ for ’em to come out. You mark my words, missie, if’n they plans on makin’ a run up yonder stream, that’ll do me just fine!”

Bladd pulled his blanket tighter about him. Taking a sip from a beaker of steaming grog, he coughed and spluttered. “How vill it do you just fine, Cap’n?”

Snatching the beaker, Plugg drained it at a gulp. “One o’ two things, yer princeness: either they’ll miss the channel an’ run ’er aground, or else they’ll smash the bottom out when they whacks into that burnt ole boat. Either way, we’ll be in plenty o’ time to lay paws on ’em. Though I ’opes they only runs my nice likkle craft aground. I don’t like to see me property damaged, eh, yer ’igh royalness?”

Kurda sneered. “Long as ve capture dem, I don’t care!”

Plugg pushed by Kurda and shouted out orders. “Lay south a point, Grubbage, take ’er in short o’ that there stream an’ drop anchor. Crew! Stand ready an’ armed to jump ashore an’ grab those imperdent beasts. I’ll h’eddi-cate that rabbit in the ways of me battle-axe when I lays paws on ’im. We’ll see ’ow pretty ’e talks then!”

With a strong breeze at their backs and the tide running high, the two otters held the tiller dead onto the stream mouth, which drew closer by the moment. Sagax dashed up to the bow point, shouting aloud into the bright blue morning, “Let’s give her a good old Salamandastron Eulalia to send her in, mates!”

Triss turned to the hare. “I like the sound of that—what’s a Salamandastron Eulalia?”

Scarum explained. “Somethin’ to make the jolly old fur stand on end, marm, the battle cry of real warriors. Just yell it out loud and long. Right ho, chaps, altogether now.”

They roared at the top of their lungs as the sleek vessel whipped head-on into the fresh water. “Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaaa!”

In the narrow mouth, wild following-wave swells drove them like an arrow up the channel.

Because of the time having been spent picking up Plugg and Bladd, the Seascab had lost ground, plus the fact that they had to haul in sail to stop them from running aground in the shallows. All this added up to slow the big ship’s speed. Kurda was dancing with rage.

“Look, look, dey vent right into der stream, straight in!”

Plugg was donning another frock coat, even tattier-looking than the wet one he had cast off. He smirked confidently. “Don’t fret yore pretty white ’ide, dearie, the wrecked boat’ll stop ’em, won’t it, Slitty?”

Slitfang nodded dutifully. “Aye, Cap’n.” What he did not say was that the Freebooters had hauled quite a bit of it, still burning, to feed their fire the previous night.

Ripper raised a paw, but dropped it at a glare from Slitfang, who muttered, “Shut yore gob or ’e’ll skin us both!”

As the Seascab sailed in closer to land, Plugg went aft to question Grubbage, shouting down the deaf rat’s ear, “ ’Ow far up the stream d’ye reckon that wreck is?”

Grubbage winced. “Ye don’t need t’shout so loud, Cap’n. They’re about right at that spot now.”

“I’d say they’ve gone clear past it!”

Plugg looked sharply at Riggan the slavecatcher, who had just made the remark. “An’ how d’ye figger that out?”

Riggan pointed overboard at the broken and burned struts of timber floating in the shallows. She observed drily, “I watched that float out o’ the stream mouth—that means they’ve broke through an’ passed the place. The fire prob’ly burned right through the ketch an’ broke ’er up afore they arrived.”

A few of the crew standing about nodded guiltily. “Aye, yore right there, matey, she burned right through!”

Plugg kicked out at them and cuffed a few ears. “Then why didn’t ye say, why didn’t anybeast tell me, eh? Get over the side an’ catch ’em, the useless lot o’ ye!”

Several Freebooters promptly leaped overboard, but the water closed in over their heads. Grubbage watched them. “Water ain’t shallow enough yet, Cap’n. We needs t’be closer in t’shore.”

Kurda came running to berate the Captain. “Iz too deep ’ere. Ve need to be closer in!”

Leaning over the rail, Plugg buried his face in both paws. “You ’eard ’er, Grubbage, take the ship in closer to shore.”

Grubbage manoeuvred the tiller, muttering darkly, “I ain’t throwin’ my clothes ashore fer nobeast. I’ll just take ’er in closer to the beach!”

Poling and paddling energetically, the friends took their vessel into the high, sandy canyon walls of the dunes. Scarum paused to swat at a curious fly.

“Shove off, you bounder, go an’ eat somebeast who’s fatter.”

Triss could see the Seascab drifting to a halt, side-on, far down at the tideline. “Scarum, don’t stop to argue with insects. Keep poling!”

Sagax could see overhanging tree foliage further ahead. “We’ll be in the woodlands soon—keep going, mates. Kroova, have they left the ship yet? Are they ashore?”

The otter took a quick glance. “One or two of ’em. Wait, they’re lowerin’ the ship’s boat!”

Plugg sat in the jollyboat facing Kurda and Bladd as it splashed gently into the water. “Slitfang, git yoreself in ’ere, you’ll be rowin’. Tazzin, Grubbage, Ripper, yore at the oars, too. Come on, move!”

“An’ vot about mine captain and Ratguards?”

Plugg leaned back in the most comfortable seat. “Oh, them, they can run both sides o’ the bank wid the rest o’ my crew. If’n yew wants ter give up yore seat to another beast, you’ll ’ave t’get out an’ walk too. I ain’t takin’ on any more passengers. Wot d’you say, Bladd, me ole mate, eh?”

The fat Prince snorted indignantly. “I not gettink out der boat for others, let dem valk!”

The silver fox toyed with his battle-axe, teasing Kurda. “Yew travel in style, me beauty, wid yore beloved brother an’ yore dear old uncle Plugg. Don’t fret now, we’ll punish those naughty slaves an’ get my nice likkle boat back.”

Kurda smiled back at the Freebooter. “An’ ven ’tis all over, you deliver me back to mine father?”

The Freebooter winked broadly at her. “Why, bless yore ’eart, pretty one, of course I will!”

Kurda’s eyes went cold. “Gutt, den I vill see him hang you in chains over his gates.”