* * *
Gef and Krell each had a knife and the element of surprise on their side. They walked toward the wheelhouse with their weapons held low and behind them.
When Lagnor saw them approaching, he rose and opened the door. “I’m a busy man, what do you want?”
“There’s a problem with the lifeboat, we need you to come take a look.”
“Do I have to do everything myself? What oafs!” Lagnor stormed past them and down to the deck. He looked over at the lifeboat, then back at Gef. “I don’t see a problem, what …”
Gef and Krell had moved to stand on either side of him and were holding their weapons up.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Turn around, Lagnor. We’re going to send you out on the lifeboat. When your real ship comes along, they’ll pick you up.”
“What…” Lagnor sputtered. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“I’m sure you don’t, just turn around. We don’t want to hurt you… actually I’d like to ring your neck and throw you in the drink, but we’ll spare you if you cooperate.”
Lagnor’s face had gone a ghastly shade of white. “Don’t hurt me - the priests did this, not me. They made me do it.”
“Save yer breath, you coward,” growled Gef. “We saw the letter and what you planned, all so you could collect all the coin for delivering the girl. It’s not going to happen, now turn around.”
Lagnor started to turn, then flung himself into Gef and knocked the knife from his hand. He ducked under Krell’s arm, whose blade missed him by inches and grabbed the knife that had clattered to the deck. He turned to run toward the wheelhouse.
Then he saw Merrith. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her against his chest, holding the knife in front of her.
“Stop, both of you or I’ll sacrifice this little lamb right here and now!”
Gef and Krell stopped dead, staring at Merrith with horror.
“Both of you get down to the bunk with the witch. Don’t come back up. If I see any of you, she’s dead.”
Merrith nodded and a single tear ran down her silky cheek. “I wanted to stop this,” she whispered.
Gef’s heart filled with dread seeing Merrith in Lagnor’s grasp.
Krell stepped back and pointed. “Look.”
Gef turned his head and saw the ship approaching.
Lagnor laughed. “Give up, Gef. It’s over. You can’t fight off all those men. They’ll be here within the hour. I’ve got the girl, there’s nothing you can do now.”
Gef looked at Krell and shook his head in defeat.
Merrith made no struggle against Lagnor.
Glancing at the ship once more, Gef noticed it listing to one side.
“Oh, by the Goddess, would ye look at that!” The ship was sinking! He could barely make out the men on deck. He saw a lifeboat swallowed up by the sea as soon as it was lowered. “What the …”
A maelstrom! It lifted the boat with its churning water, spinning it faster and faster until at last the ship tipped and sank. The waves leaped high and crashed down, slapping the surface. Concentric rings rolled out in a huge circle. And then the water stilled leaving no trace of the ship or its crew.
Lagnor had loosened his grip on Merrith. She tilted her head and looked up at him. “I’m sorry you had to lose your ship.” She said.
He looked into her blue eyes and stepped away. “Go,” he said, trembling. “Child of Prophesy, please… spare me!”
Merrith thanked him. Then she walked away.
Gef leaped forward and pulled her to him, watching Lagnor as he stumbled backwards and dropped his knife, then leaned against the edge of the railing.
Krell ran forward and retrieved the weapon.
“Lagnor, in the lifeboat now,” demanded Gef. Fury filled his heart at the thought of that man holding a knife to little Merrith. “There’s rations and water in there, head back toward Lysis. You’ll be picked up by someone, no doubt.
Lagnor nodded. “Just keep her away from me.” He pointed at Merrith with a trembling hand as he moved to the lifeboat. Then he fell to the deck.
“Get up, Lagnor. It’s done, yer ship has sunk and so are you.”
Lagnor didn’t move. As he moved closer, he saw the man’s lifeless eyes were open.
“He’s dead.” Krell said in a wondering voice.
“Aye,” Gef took a deep breath, “looks like his heart gave out.”
He looked down at the girl, and touched the blonde curls that framed her face. “Go back to the cabin and stay with Magdalah, little one.” He watched until she moved out of sight.
“Let’s get him out of here.”
Krell took Lagnor’s legs and Gef his arms as they lifted and pitched him over the rail into the waiting sea. Gef grunted in satisfaction.
“Now let’s figure out how to move this boat.”
They went to the wheelhouse and pulled out the maps.
“There,” said Gef. “There’s Pentra to the northeast. And that’s where we’re heading according to the compass. Now look some miles down toward the south, almost directly east from here. There’s a large peninsula jutting out, miles below Pentra. That’s where we’ll head. It’s much closer and I’ll feel better getting off this boat, how about you, Krell?”
“Aye, Capt’n.” He grinned at Gef. “I’ll feel lots better when me feet are on dry land.”
Gef bellowed laughter and wiped sweat from his brow. “Me too, Krell, me too. And you can call me Captain once I’ve guided this boat there safely, for that still remains to be seen!”
Late the next afternoon, after a long and watchful night, Krell and Gef sighted a small sandy beach guarded by a large outcropping of rocks. They guided the boat as close as they dared and dropped anchor, then prepared to lower the lifeboat.
Merrith slipped her small hand into Gef’s. “Is this where the butterflies come?” Her eyes were large and blue and trusting.
“Nay,” Gef said gruffly, “that’s for tomorrow, little Miss. Not now.”
She smiled and he felt as if the sun had burst out from behind dark clouds. Warmth filled him, yet a gnawing dread washed over him.
The lifeboat held rations and water containers, blankets and utensils as well. Once they reached the beach, they secured the lifeboat, set up camp for the night and built a roaring fire. After they had eaten, Merrith curled up on a blanket between Gef and Magdalah and fed Tiki some breadcrumbs. She soon fell fast asleep.
Magdalah turned to Gef, her face aglow in the firelight. “You know what they’re going to do, don’t you?”
“Aye,” he grunted. “And I’d as soon have this done with.”
“Will they be gentle?”
“I doubt they’ll care about niceties. They have their rituals to perform.” He studied the sand beneath him.
“Ach! How can they think such a tiny lass could harm anyone?”
“Something in the stars told of it, one of the gods I suppose.” He looked away and scratched behind his ear with a grimace.
“It’s an evil god then,” declared Magdalah, as she lifted one of Merrith’s golden curls.
“What would ye have us do, Mags?” Gef brought his gaze to Magdalah’s face with furious intensity. “Be outcasts the rest of our lives? I took this job for you, for Krell, for US!”
Krell’s head bobbed a few times and he spat into the fire. “Me, I’ve alus wanted to see them Southern Mountains.” He glanced in the direction of Gef, then put his attention back to the fire.
Gef arose, his hands clenched at his sides. “Do you two know what yer saying? We’ll have to give up everything! The priests will have us hunted down like dogs for not delivering her as promised. We’ll always be watchin’ our backs. And besides, we were paid, and well, I might add, to do this job.” He faltered. “It’d be wrong, wouldn’t it?”
“Eh, they’ll have our homes and all our possessions to regain their coin,” said Magdalah.
Gef rubbed his
head and his voice dropped to a low whisper, “And, did you ever think… what if they’re right?”
Magdalah gave him a slow smile. “Do you think they are?” Her fingers continued to play over the child’s soft hair.
He frowned. “I didn’t want to take this dirty job to begin with, Magdalah. But what could I do? You can’t refuse them, you know that. And I wanted to make our lives better, with all that coin we could get out of Pentra, have a better life. Do you understand?”
“I do understand, Gef. I know you… remember? You’re a good true man. And maybe we have a new life offered to us right now.”
Gef folded his arms across his chest, his gaze averted from Magdalah and Krell. “I gotta get some sleep. G’night.”
He felt tears threatening. He thought he’d forgotten how to cry long, long ago.