Free On Discord Isle by Jonathon Burgess Page A

that. She wasn’t particularly bloodthirsty and did appreciate Fengel’s gentlemanly code. There was an undeniable thrill to the chase, however, and the prospect of actually having real money again almost left her breathless.
    The distance shrank between the two vessels. Now that they were close enough, Lina saw that the ship was a big three-master, with the word Kingfisher emblazoned in gold letters across its stern. It disappeared beneath their hull as the Dawnhawk overtook it, only to reappear as they veered to starboard. The captain of the merchant ship stood on the sterncastle shouting commands. The sailors scurried for the gunwales and forecastle, for weapons and belaying pins.
    “Prepare the grapples!” shouted Lucian from the stern. Fat Thomlin and the other pirates assigned to the task took up the great boarding tethers, those long coiled ropes anchored to the deck, their other ends tied to thick chains and iron hooks. “Now!”
    The pirates roared out. Grapnels sailed out through the air, dropping into the tangle of sailcloth and rigging below. The Dawnhawk shuddered as the ropes caught and pulled taut. The Kingfisher jerked. A sailor in the rigging tried desperately to dislodge the hooks or cut them free. Lina’s crewmates threw the rope ladders and drop-lines over the side of the airship, then started clambering down before they’d even had time to fully unroll. The raid was underway.
    Reaver Jane, Sarah Lome, and the other more skilled and vicious pirates dropped down to the deck. The sailors tried to fight back, but the captain and first mate gave contradicting orders that Lina’s crewmates were only too happy to exploit. Lina followed shortly thereafter, stopping halfway to clamber over into the Kingfisher’s rigging. A burly sailor was waiting for her. He was an ugly man who stank of garlic and reminded her of the obnoxious Oscar Pleasant. Lina lifted her arm and let Runt deal with him.
    Lina’s task was to make sure that the boarding tethers weren’t cut away during the raid. They needn’t have really bothered. The lookout was either down below or hiding in his crow’s nest while the sailor behind her was scurrying down the ratlines as fast as he could to escape her hissing, spitting pet. Otherwise, the rigging was empty.
    Things were progressing quickly on the deck. Lina moved over to the mainmast, where Lucian and a few of her crewmates fought the Kingfisher’s captain and first mate. Lucian performed a wild flourish that sent the captain’s sword flying off down the deck, then pointed the tip of his own in warning.
    “Stand down now,” said Lucian with a smile. “Your men are beaten. There’s no need for further bloodshed.”
    “We’ll not give in to filthy pirates,” snarled the first mate, brandishing his blade. “We throw down our weapons and we’re as good as dead.” The man had a nasty gash across his brow, and it bled profusely.
    Lucian rolled his eyes. “Please. We’re here for your holds, not your lives.” He gestured with his blade at the airship above them. “We are the crew of the airship Dawnhawk , and we have a reputation to maintain. I swear that no harm will come to you if you lay down your arms.”
    The captain reached out a hand and pulled down his mate’s arm. “That’s not what he means. You’re with the Dawnhawk? I’ve heard of you. That’s Captain Fengel’s ship.” He peered at Lucian. “D’you mean that?”
    “Sir!” cried the mate. He shot a strange, intense look at his master, then jerked his head oddly toward the low sterncastle.
    “They’ve not been a damned help since we agreed to take them back to Edrus,” growled the captain of the Kingfisher. “We could have been a hundred leagues away by now if it wasn’t for his stupid ambition. Everyone knows you can’t take an airship! I’ll not risk anymore of the crew on this harebrained scheme.”
    Lucian frowned. “What are you two on about?” He glanced at the first mate, and then at