The Crimson sea - Christian Wratten (read full novel txt) 📗

guide them throigh this world,or the next" Ulbar said but he could taste the bitterwind and vibrant breeze as the words left his mouth, sowing seeds of uncertainty in his bowels."hope is not lost we, can help them still. "bulvar pleaded,Bulvar never pleaded.Your words are as flowers pretty to think of but without thought.

 

The coucil paused for a moment as a scout entered the tent, his green keen eyes and bulky arms giving the look of a fine warrior,a man. "Jarl baalgruff urgent news has been recieved, i or the commander rather would speak to you alone?". "very well, the jarl sighed his breath reeking of mead, my steward will come to".

 

Cold was the night, but even colder was the words the commander bearehd. They had lost their fleet to the eye of the gods and the holmes, all their hopes washed away with the ships."He washed up sir we found him crawling, crawling, the commanders second said his eyes as sharp as the horns of his helm, whats to be done with him sir.

Lying in the corner ,the mottled darkness hiding the mans face, was their information source. His muscles were lean and tense showing what could have been a proud warrior. Could have been, His nose and legs were broken and so was his honour. "Slit his throat". The knife flashed out of nowhere, the tip of the blade slashed across his neck the blobs of red in the mans throat falling out as an apple falls from a tree.

The man stared up at them his glazed eyes looking at nothing in particular. Shouts erulted outside.The man lifted his head.

Opened his cracked lips Smiled with his bloodied teeth. Then spoke, "their here" he said, and died smiling.

The crimson sea

 Waves licked at the hull of the ship.Winds screamed and howled at the men upon grey wind as if to tell them that discipline of the sea far exceeded their own.men sang and shouted, the continuous howl distorting the sound.

 

"Ease the left flank, fill the sails with wind men. The the helmsmens croaky voice echoed in the open waves of the sea as other men repeated his commands.The helmsmen was large and strong to the eye countless war scars defining his face and another dozen stretched down his upper torso. Two hefty battleaxes wavered at his side the leather hilt cold and crisp to the touch and the refined edges sleek, thin and lethal as the one who wields them.Herleif growled at the Quartermaster "Youre suppose to navigate, or shall i help you navigate your intestines" the mans reply was reserving yet uncaring "yes, however... there has been some difficulty the crimson sea has changed its winds at such regular points as to confuse my direction. Cracking filled the fortyard as the firm back of Herleifs hand collided wth the now swelling cheek of the quartermaster, He was silent after that, sprawled across the moist planks of the ship.

 

Herleifs voice snapped out as a wolf, "row harder men, i intend to be as far from the kirkland as possible by morning come."

A small brittle thrall approached, his priest rags torn and ragged as his steps. A slave,from the kirkland. "sir the ships supply is low we need more for the men" his voice was hollow and empty and he walked off muttering to himself.

 

The drake was filled with hush silence as they looked towards the horizen. "An english holmes vessel sir, alone, we can take her." the forwmen wailed the wind tearing at his words and throwing them back at him. "Pull up topside, fasten fhe sails, rand all men row.Herleifs voice rang round the spaciouse perimeter of the open sea "I intend to board."

 

the fleck on the horizon grew on them rapidly, "Douse the arrows and flames, aim for the mast incapacitate them men." Herleifs voice broke off as numerouse men scurried about grabbing arrows, swords and axes. The first wave of arrows flew of as birds of red, hitting the masts, the greedy flames searing the blackening white. the ships sails broke under the heat of the flames its movement siezed and occupents worried and fearfull.

Herleif borded the vessel, the two battleaxes swinging lightly in the breeze. A man charged and fell just as quickly, the grim edge of Herleifs battleaxe erecting from his skull, the second man was the next to charge and the next to fall, Herleifs other axe portruding from his bowels. Both of Herleifs axes lied on either side of him bloodied with gore their keen edge smiling at the taste of blood. Herleif wipped round to face another man, his swift and heavy blows raining down on another opponent. Another victim. The men were routed efficiently and brutally the ones who surrendered disembowled and thrown over board for there cowardice. "The ship is ours wouldnt you say'captain' Herleifs voice was thick with the taunt of victory, but he had yet to finish,your arms as brittle as your brains you could barely turn a wheel... or lead a ship of men." Another group of men were butchered their last words feeble plees of mercy. Their cries emphasizing Herleifs words.

 

The captain was small and wiry, his long neck and thin arms an easy kill. He looked up his eyes full with fury, and spat.

Herleifs roar richocheted of the sails of the ship and out into the open waves of sea, "ill teach you were to spit" the craking sound coming from Herleifs throat wS almost as vile as the trail of milky fleghm trailing from his mouth. It hit the man square in the face along with Herleifs fist sending the man into a half concious mess.The mans groans and face were bloodied, Herleif dragged him to the edge of the ship.Bared his throat, and slashed the dagger across the trachea thick rivers of blood as cromson as the sea leapt from his neck as he was thrown overboard.

 

It took an hour to steal the supplies, half an hour to celebrate with mead and wines, and about a quarter of thet for the ship to burn, the consumative flames engulfing the sails, with rays of light chasing dappled shadows from across the fortyard.And then, in no time at all dawn was there

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Publication Date: 02-13-2018

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Dedication:
To those people whom of have inspired me Tracy, Graham, mrs Innes, my foster parents and pj.