Chapter 24

A spray of salt water broke over the bow and washed over Lysander and his men. He shook the water from his hair and turned away from the broad sweep of the sea. He cast his eyes over the crowded deck, watching the hustle of activity among the ship’s crew and the uneasy shifting of his men.

They were anxious. Three days at sea had them going a bit stir-crazy, which was why so many of them were up on deck in the first place. They gave the crew space to work, but just barely. The more senior men were asleep in hammocks below decks. They knew what was coming and like all hardened soldiers, grabbed sleep when they could.

Lysander would be down with them, but he was the senior officer. It was best for him to be visible to those men who couldn’t sleep. So he paced the deck, looking off toward the horizon every now and again, looking for he knew not what.

At heart, Lysander was a landlubber. He respected the men who plied their trade on the seas. But he wasn’t one of them. The deck left his footing unsure and as a man who liked to fight, he preferred ground that was stable beneath him.

Still, this crew definitely knew what they were about. They were out of Osh’riyo and were probably breastfed on salt water. They all walked along the decks, or more amazingly, swung through the rigging, like they belonged there. Lysander had heard tales of animals from the northern jungles that could swing from vine to vine as easy as a man walked. He wondered if the men in the ropes above him weren’t distantly related to these creatures.

Looking to his left, port the sailors insisted on calling it, he could see small specks in the distance. Those would be the griffins. He had taken a harrowing flight the night before to meet with Liam. The flight itself hadn’t been that harrowing, but landing on a pitching deck was not an experience he wished to repeat. The griffin seemed even less happy about being on ship than Lysander was.

Together, he and Liam had decided on a plan of action. The griffins would track the ships until they first sighted the outskirts of the trading outpost. Then, they would land and hold position until the first ships had landed. At that point, they would launch and circle to the west, cutting off escape, while Lysander and his men would attack from the docks on the eastern edge of the city.

With any luck, the surprise and ferocity of the attack would mean a quick victory. Then again, Lysander wouldn’t be too upset if he had to fight his way to the center of town. He’d always wanted to test some of the desert men. Perhaps they’d provide a challenge.

He looked up as he heard some commotion in the rigging high above his head. One of the men in the crow’s nest appeared to be pointing toward the northwest. He turned to look out over the port bow just as he heard the lookout shout down.

“Land ho!”

He grinned as his hand dropped to the hilt of its sword, loosening it in the scabbard.

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