Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (red queen free ebook txt) 📗

their way to the third vessel, the guard had stepped to the port side rail to look at the pier and noted their approach. The gusting wind prevented Naro's arrow from finding its target but was near enough to make its intentions unmistakable. Despite the speed of the Guild members' pursuit, the crew was alerted before they could fully occupied the deck.

Kinsman was the first aboard and had a quick decision to make. Fighting on the deck would allow the archers to be more effective. But allowing the time for the ship's crew to emerge would also grant them more time to better prepare and arm themselves. Kinsman rushed the aft doorway, waving Spen and Loryn to the fore. He shouted, “Rukle! Wave to those in the boats. Get them up here, then open the cargo hatch and help from there.” He pulled the aft door open without waiting for any acknowledgment and met the first of the Lukasi crew. Each of them was equally surprised to see the other, but each recovered immediately. The crew member's longer blade prevented Kinsman from advancing down the ladder and the man used this to his advantage as he attempted to defend the doorway. Kinsman dropped the blade from his right hand and flung the chain knife with as much underhand force as he could muster. The blade made a gash in the man's left forearm as it passed and lodged itself in the man's upper chest. The man swept the blade of his cutlass across the chain in an effort to dislodge the weapon. His pained expression made it obvious that the attempt was as painful as it was ineffectual.  He reached up with his left hand to grasp the chain as Kinsman took a step backward and pulled. The edged points at the side of the knife bit deeply and tore flesh as the knife was pulled free. The man screamed and stepped to climb the ladder as he tried to make the chain go slack. Kinsman firmly set his foot on the wet boards of the deck and gave the chain a hard yank, freeing the knife. This was followed by a scream from below. Kinsman stepped back to coil the chain. Naro moved forward to the aft door and paused. He called back, “Can we just scuttle this ship right here?” Kinsman smiled grimly, “Tempting, but we don't want to block the docks. I'll hold this door. Put archers around the cargo hatch and pull it open. We can start in the middle and fight our way outward.”

The crew reacted quickly to this new tactic, but there was little they could do other than take cover from the Guild archers. Spen held the door at the fore of the ship. Naro led the charge down through the cargo hatch with Rukle immediately behind him. Kinsman lost sight of them as soon as they dropped below and he turned his full attention to the men at the base of the aft ladder. He had hoped they would move toward the center, to assist their mates, but they held firm. He sheathed his blades, took hold of his bow and nocked an arrow. The men below shifted to positions out of his line of sight, but they stayed close to the bottom of the ladder. “I might be able to get one or two of them as Naro or Rukle work their way closer”, he thought. The Wharfsiders fanned out to assist with covering the doors and hatches but none of them climbed down below deck.

Kinsman pointed to the men taking cover below and spoke to the Wharfsiders nearby, “Keep those men from climbing out. I'll go through the cargo hatch and join those below. This is taking too long.” He rushed to the fore and handed his bow over to Spen and returned to drop through the cargo hatch. Once he'd witnessed the fighting, he realized there was little he could do unless someone either withdrew or fell. The cramped quarters afforded no opportunity to join the fighting though it didn't stop him from looking for an opening. His Guild mates had accounted for six crew members and their bodies, in various locations, made it necessary to pay attention to where he stepped. Naro and Loryn were fighting shoulder to shoulder at the aft end of the galley, facing two men, one in the mate's quarters and one at the opening to the Captain's quarters. Balat and Rukle were trying to force their way into the main crew quarters to the fore but were being held off by the crew's longer weapons. The Wharfsiders at the fore began prodding down through the hatch with their spears and harpoons. This caused more of a distraction than an actual threat. Balat and Rukle were able to force their way through the door and into the space beyond. This allowed Kinsman to follow behind and press the advantage. The four crewmen fell quickly and Kinsman reversed his direction and rushed to the rear of the ship. He called out, “On your left!” Both Naro and Loryn shifted a half step to the right and he forced his way in. The man inside the mates quarters had been fighting a purely defensive battle. The man shifted his attention to this new attacker but was quickly outpaced and found himself off balance and exposed to a strike from Naro, who extended his left arm to punch the first few inches of his blade low into the left side of the man's chest. The man began to fold and Kinsman took advantage of the reaction and pressed forward, reaching past the man's blade to inflict several additional deep gashes. The man collapsed. The other sailor sought to slash Naro's exposed flank but was immediately forced backward by Loryn's onslaught. He attempted to push her away with his left hand and was awarded several deep cuts but managed to keep Loryn from reaching anything