DREAMWIELDER Book 1 of The Dreamwielder Chronicles

Chapter 30: THE LONG BELATED CLAIM

"We have an hour at most before the sun rises," Siegbjorn said. "If we don't spot them soon, we'll have to take cover on shore."

Caile nodded. They had passed Spearpoint Rock an hour before and turned south, skirting the Pyrthinian shoreline, but still had seen no sign of the Valarion fleet. Caile suspected the fleet was not far off but could not be certain. Don Bricio was sometimes unpredictable. If he suspected much resistance from the Pyrthin navy, he might have waited to set sail, or he might have led the fleet farther to the north, far from sight of the coast, to turn around and enter the bay at its northern end. Caile kept his eyes peeled regardless. Don Bricio was also an arrogant man, and with any luck he would sail in the most direct route toward Kal Pyrthin.

The minutes passed, and still they saw nothing. The eastern horizon brightened, and Siegbjorn looked toward shore for a suitable place to hide.

"Not yet," Caile urged him. "A few more minutes." The thought of waiting another day to finally face Don Bricio was more than Caile could bear. Where are you, you bastard? he muttered beneath his breath.

They traveled onward and just when Siegbjorn was about to insist on landing, Caile spotted dark shapes on the horizon.

"There!"

Siegbjorn followed his gaze. "Indeed, there they are. But it is nearly light now. We would not be able to approach unnoticed."

"Yes we will. Drop down low and turn dead east. We will wait and use the rising sun to come at them in their blind spot."

"Of course," Siegbjorn agreed, disappointed he had not thought of it himself. He dropped the ship low, no more than twenty feet over the rolling waves, and turned eastward toward the sun. A mile out, he stopped the propeller and brought them to a halt. "Now we wait."

Caile nodded and wordlessly prepared himself. He took off his boots and shirt, rolled up his trouser legs, and removed his sword and scabbard from his belt.

"What plan do you have?" Siegbjorn asked.

"Stay low as we approach," Caile said. "I will jump into the water on their starboard side and climb aboard as you sail past. Once you're past them, stay low so they see you. The sight of the airship will distract the crew so I can get aboard unnoticed."

"Those ships will be under full sail and moving fast," Siegbjorn pointed out. "How do you mean to get aboard from the water?"

"I'll need a short length of rope, something to hook around the anchor, and this won't do me much good," Caile said, throwing his sword into the cabin. "Have you got something smaller I could have? Something easier to swim with?"

Siegbjorn took the skinning knife from his belt and gave it to him, then unwrapped one of the anchoring ropes from the rail of the airship.

"I just need a loop, five or six feet long," Caile said. "The anchor hangs no more than a few feet from the water line on the portside of Don Bricio's ship."

Siegbjorn looked at him skeptically, but tied the rope in a loop nonetheless, then tied a wide knot at the free end of the rope. "You are in for a sore surprise, you will find, if you think you will be able to pull yourself aboard a fully rigged ship."

"Trust me," Caile told him. "Let's go."

The fleet was parallel to them now to the west. Siegbjorn reengaged the propeller and they turned toward the Valarion ships. With the sun at their back, they were completely invisible to the Valarions. Caile tucked the knife into his belt and looped the rope over his head and one shoulder, then went to stand at the bow of the airship in front of Siegbjorn.