Free Archers and Crusaders: Historical fiction: Novel of Medieval Warfare by Marines, Navy sailors, and Templar knights in the Middle Ages during England's ... (The English Archers Saga Book 6) by Martin Archer Page A

goddamnit.” Jeffrey roars a few seconds before the Venetian comes up alongside us and the sailors on its crowded deck begin throwing grapples on to ours.
           Out of the corner of my eye I see another Venetian galley swerving towards us to come in on our other side.  And there are more coming behind them.
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           I’m a lucky man and that’s for sure.  Sergeant Jeffrey sent me up here on the mast because I didn’t have a spare bow string under my cap at the last inspection – and it’s a damn good thing he did for I’m truly happy not to be down in the middle of all that fighting on the deck.  I just wish I had me some kind of real weapon in case one them buggers tries to climb up here to get me.  But I don’t – me sword and shield are still under me seat and me damn bow and quivers are still hanging on the pegs.
           I yelled down and warned them when all them galleys was still way off didn’t I?  But it didn’t do no good did it?  Old Jeffrey didn’t do a damn thing but keep right on rowing easy and they just pulled up on us slick as goose grease. 
           “Hey down there.  Watch out.  There’s another of the buggers coming up on the port side.” …  “Sergeant Jeffrey; Sergeant, they’s two more of the bastards coming up on the port side.”  Christ, they can’t hear me for all the shouting and noise.  Jesus what if they have archers? – I’m a sitting goose up here.
           It’s something to see.  Yes it is.  I warned the sergeant, yes I did, but they came right up on without us trying to do anything to stop them or get away until it was too late.  They almost got some of our oars and would have done if the boys hadn’t pulled them in quick like.  
           I can see it all from up here.  Our boys are coming up the stairs with their weapons and shields like their asses are on fire. They’re shouting and screaming as they come up and the pirates or whoever they are being cut down and pushed back. 
           It’s all chaos and confusion.  I see one of our men, I think it’s Peter the smith from Chester, stumble and go down.  Then someone I don’t know seems to go down on top of Peter when he reaches down to help him to his feet.
          I’m all alone up here even though there are three pirate galleys lashed to one side of ours and two to the other side….  The fighting is continuing to spread to the decks of all of them… Suddenly I realize I’m shouting and some of our men are coming up the mast carrying bows and quivers.  
         I better move higher so they can use the lookout’s nest to shoot as we’ve all practiced.  As I’m climbing I suddenly see a pirate with a bow on the deck of the farthest galley – it don’t look like much of a bow but he’s aiming it up towards me and the men climbing up below me…  Oh damn.
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           The Venetians throw their grapples and swarm aboard as our Marines come charging up from the rowing decks with their small shields and swords.  I push the Cardinal into the little deck castle up front and grab a shield and sword off the deck rack.  So does everyone else on the deck except for Jeffrey; he grabs up one of the Swiss pikes with blades and hooks.
           For the first few seconds we are pushed back and almost overwhelmed by a rush of the pirates - they’re Venetians by God.   But then more and more and more of our Marines reach the deck until it’s so packed there’s hardly room to draw a bow or swing a sword or pike.
          Within an instant some of our men begin stepping over the railings on to our attackers’ galleys to get out of the press and have more room to fight.  It’s nothing we trained them to do.  They are doing it instinctively to get room to use their swords and draw their bows.
           A sailor with a sword and wild eyes comes at me making a wild slashing swing.  His face registers surprise when I throw up