Free The Archer's Marines: The First Marines - Medieval fiction action story about Marines, naval warfare, and knights after King Richard's crusade in Syria, ... times (The Company of Archers Book 5) by Martin Archer

Theirs’ is the one with five galleys that will try to take as many as possible of the Tunisian ships floating in the harbor.  Harold’s is the master sergeant of all our sailors so poor Archie’s been hovering in his shadow ever since we left England.  Jeffrey’s in the same boat with me on board.
           Three hours later and the wind is difficult but not impossible for taking sailing cogs out of the Tunis harbor.  After everyone takes a last piss, wolfs down a loaf of the bread that was baked before we left Cagliari, and gets a mouthful of wine squirted from a wine skin - then we come through the entrance to the Tunis harbor with the rowing drum of every galley beating a fast and steady beat and two men at every oar. 
           Four of our galleys are going for the Tunisian galleys beached off to the left of the two great Tunis docks; six galleys carrying most of our archers are going to the docks and the city gates; and five galleys with a number of prize crews are going for the ships anchored in the harbor. 
           The size of the prize crews is larger for those assigned to cogs and other sailing ships and quite small for those that take a galley.  All the prize crews for galleys have to do is use their rudders and give orders to the slaves on their rowing benches.
           Peter and I will each be leading three of the six galleys going to the two great stone docks and then to block the city gates.  All six are crammed with a large number our strongest archers as well as several dozen prize crews for the ships and galleys we hope to find tied up at the Tunis docks. 
           As soon as Peter’s and my galleys reach our assigned docks our archers will jump off and we’ll each lead our galleys’ Marines at a run to one of the two city gates.  Jeffrey will then be once again in command of his own galley until I return.
           My galley’s assignment is the northern dock and my Marines and I are going for the northernmost gate facing the harbor; Peter will be at the other dock and leading the Marines going for the city gate facing southern part of the harbor.   While we are leading our archers to the city gates the prize crews and a smaller number of Marines from our galleys will be going for prizes from among the ships at the docks.
           Helen nods her head and agrees when I tell her, quite sternly as a matter of fact, that she is only allowed to stay outside on the deck in front of our forecastle and watch until the fighting starts – and that she absolutely must move inside with the door barred during the fighting.  She’s a curious little thing and I know her well enough that I quietly arrange for Jeffrey to assign one of his most dependable sailors to move her inside when the fighting starts and guard the door.
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           Tunis is a great city with a superb harbor. Its two long docks are close to the city wall and the two gates that serve them. It’s an altogether impressive place with a couple of beautiful white sandy beaches.  The huge dome of a mosque can be seen rising far above the city walls. 
             Beyond the city walls to the left houses with red tile roofs are inside walled compounds.  They run all the way up to the great fortress on top of the hill that towers above the walled city and harbor.  To the right are great open areas where the desert people camp, the city’s caravanserai are located, and the city’s huge livestock market operates where everything from camels and horses to slaves and cattle is constantly being bought and sold. 
           On the beach, particularly to the left, are boatyards with a number of ships under construction or and many more beached. 
           More than fifteen thousand people are said to live inside the city walls and another ten thousand beyond them.  And they are all apparently either pirates or merchants or their slaves and servants and overlords.   Also, depending on