Chapter 27

Wouri Estuary, West Africa

The small Britannic fleet glided through the tranquil waters of the estuary, its lush, green shores a stark contrast to the relentless expanse of Oceanus they had traversed. The dense tree line seemed to engulf the waterway, stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was moist in a way Valdar had never experienced. Damp earth and plant odors mixed with the briny aroma of the sea.

Beyond a few paces of sand was a wall of towering trees, their trunks draped in vines. The waters themselves seemed to practically teem with fish which Valdar could see from his place on deck. For most of the trip, they’d stayed a fair distance from shore, in sight but far enough away to avoid unknown shoals and sand bars. Seeing this estuary and the small island off the coast, it seemed like a perfect place for a port, just what he was looking for. It would be well protected from storms and the rough seas of Oceanus, and there were several rivers feeding into it, meaning they’d have nearby fresh water.

“Gather a group of our legionaries and sailors,” Valdar said to his first mate. “I want them ashore to scout out a suitable spot for our port. Also, signal one of the galleys to go upriver a little way. Not far, but far enough to give us an idea of what’s inland and to see if there are any signs of people living here.”

“Yes, Admiral,” the man said, heading for the signalmen.

A few minutes later, one of the modified galleys began pushing its way up what looked to be the largest river, next to the area Valdar was thinking of for a resupply port. On the shore, waves of men disembarked from longboats, pushing through the soft sand along the edge of the water and disappearing into the thick foliage.

Twenty minutes later, the men he’d dispatched were back, sending up the signal flags that all was clear. Satisfied with the initial assessment, Valdar made his way to a longboat and was rowed ashore.

“Report,” Valdar said to one of the legionary officers as they met him by the longboat.

“We’ve identified a suitable spot just east of here. The terrain is flat, and there’s a natural cove that could provide shelter for the ships. The tree cover is pretty thick, so it’s going to take some work to clear the land, but at least we’ll have timber to start building with.”

“Good. Very good,” Valdar said. “Take the men and begin clearing the area. I’ll start bringing more men from the fleet ashore to help. Get your legionaries set up to establish a perimeter.”

As the men set off to perform their assigned tasks, Valdar gathered the few captains who had also come ashore around him.

“My plan is to leave one schooner and several of the galleys here. Your task is to build up this port and maintain a supply line back to Hispania. I know building a port from nothing in these conditions will be challenging. The fleet will hold here for a week to help you get the initial settlement cleared and started. My hope is that between the schooner and the cannon-armed galleys, you’ll have enough protection until you can get some walls up.”

“And after the wall is built, Admiral?” one of the galley captains asked.

They all knew this wasn’t the goal of their mission. Valdar needed a safe port to resupply from as he continued around the continent, a way for him to send information back and get what he needed without sending ships all the way back to Hispania. It was a big job, but it also meant being left more or less alone very far from home. The sailors, many of whom had grown up sailing unknown coasts in search of profit, would have some appreciation for that, but those trained into the fleets more recently and the legionaries would not have had the same experience.

“Once the walls are up and the settlement is at least stable, the schooner will travel back to Hispania for more supplies, both for you and to be drawn from by my supply ships. You’ll inform the commander of what we’re doing and about the port you’ve established, letting him know we’ll need semi-regular shipments from him to maintain the port. For now, this is a way station, a hub. Eventually, the Empress might decide she wants more contacts inland, but for now, you’re to maintain yourselves here and not venture further than needed inland, away from the port. I’m not sure what farming is possible here, but some of your people started off as farmers and might have a better idea. It’s a good natural harbor, and there is that island just offshore that you can also set up an outpost on, if you feel the need. The galleys will remain here to maintain protection, assist with fishing, and whatever else is needed. It’s imperative that you maintain communication with Kalb. We’re far from home, and I don’t want any of you to up and suddenly disappear.”

Before anyone could respond, there was a commotion further down the beach, where a river emptied into the estuary. The galley that he had sent to explore had returned, its captain waving frantically.

Valdar and his men ran up to where the galley pulled up close to the shore, close enough for the captain to shout across.

“Admiral, there are people coming through the woods,” he said, pointing upriver, into the trees. “They look armed.”

“Hostile?” Valdar shouted back.

“It was too hard to see, and we turned around right away to warn you.”

Valdar gave the man a wave and shouted for the legionary commander to bring all of the men back to the shore.

“Signal the ships to prepare to defend the shore party. Optio, ready your weapons, but keep them at your side until we find out how this is going to go.”

“Natives, sir?” the optio asked.

“Probably. It was bound to happen; I just didn’t expect it so soon. They must have seen the ships.”

The optio nodded and began rounding up the men, putting the sailors, most of whom were unarmed except for wood axes and tools, behind his soldiers. Valdar sent the captains with the sailors, but remained in front. A few minutes later, figures emerged from the jungle. He could hear several of the Britannians, who’d never traveled much south of their own island nation, gasp at the men’s appearance. But Valdar had visited Egypt several times. He had met Nubians and other tribesmen from past the upper cataracts.

These men had a similar appearance, at least in their skin tone, although some were darker than even the Nubians he’d met. Their clothing was different, however. Most of the men wore minimal clothing and simple jewelry made from what looked like shells or polished rocks. The one thing they all were, however, was armed. They were carrying a variety of spears and bows.

They also seemed as intrigued and bewildered by him and his men’s sudden appearance, as he was by theirs.

Valdar took a step forward, holding his empty hands out, open with the palms facing towards them, in what he hoped would be seen as a gesture of peace.

“Hello,” he said, working very hard to keep his voice calm and even.

One of the men, maybe a little older than the others but otherwise no different, stepped forward, handing his bow to one of the other men as he did. He copied Valdar’s gesture, his hands out and open, and spoke in a language Valdar had never heard before.

Valdar held up a finger, hoping the “one moment” gesture was somewhat universal, and looked back to his men.

“Give me that piece of cloth,” he said to one of the sailors, pointing at some of the supplies they’d brought ashore.

He could hear the natives tense as the sailor grabbed it and ran it forward, putting the brightly colored, tightly woven scrap of fabric in Valdar’s hands. Valdar turned and held it out to the leader, who, after a moment, took it, running his fingers over the soft material with a look of wonder. Valdar then drew his sword, a gleaming steel blade that caught the sunlight.

A ripple of strange words went through the natives, several of whom drew back their bows but paused as Valdar put the blade and pommel across his hands, extending the weapon to the native leader.

The native leader picked up the sword, testing its weight and balance. He nodded, a smile spreading across his face. He gestured to the bay or maybe across the bay, then to the ground where they stood, speaking in his native tongue.

Valdar tried to follow, piecing together the meaning as best he could. Valdar gestured to his people and the area where they stood and the trees nearby. They did this for what seemed like a long time, each gesturing to the other. Valdar got the impression these men lived somewhere on the other side of the estuary, making it a pretty sizable walk between there and the proposed spot for his port. If he had to guess, they were a hunting party of some kind, since there didn’t seem to be anyone else around.

Valdar thought he got across the idea that he and his men wanted to settle here, and that he wanted to trade goods between them. At one point, he gave them a small mirror, one of the many wonders the Consul had taught them to make. The native was almost terrified at first, then amazed. Valdar pointed to it and some of the dried meat the natives had on them. The man got the idea and gave a fair amount of dried meat to Valdar, who took a bite of one piece and then handed the rest to one of his men.

They had an interesting moment when Valdar reached over and, after a few minutes of somewhat comical confusion, grasped the native’s forearm in a shake, putting the man’s hand on his forearm in return. The man, after a moment, seemed to understand the gesture and smiled at him broadly.

Returning to his group, the natives all chattered amongst themselves, examining the fabric, sword, and mirror. They seemed truly excited by it all. As far as Valdar could tell, they weren’t hostile, which was fortunate. He’d had run-ins, as a younger man, with great bearded men living near the ice flows above the northern sea, who’d been instantly hostile when his then captain had gone ashore, so Valdar knew how badly this could have gone.

Valdar let the men mingle, and there was a lot of interest on both sides. Valdar spoke multiple times, in as gentle a voice as he could manage, reminding his men that they needed to stay calm and not take anything the other men did as offensive. He told them that it would take time for the groups to understand each other’s customs.

Eventually, the native group left, probably to return to their village and tell others what they’d seen. This meant that by tomorrow he’d end up dealing with a larger group. They did indicate, Valdar thought, that they’d return, and Valdar tried to give them the idea that their visits would be welcome.

“Alright, let’s get back to work,” Valdar called out as they left. “Optio, keep patrols at the rear and no one goes off alone. Understood?”

“Yes, Admiral,” the man said, his eyes following where the natives had gone. “Do you think they’ll be a problem?”

“It’s hard to say for certain. They seemed more curious than hostile, but we must remain cautious. We don’t know their customs or how they might react to our presence here.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Make sure you keep everyone on task once we leave. Your very first job is to build a workable palisade to use for defense and to maintain a constant guard once you do. Have everyone sleep aboard ship if you need to. Don’t provoke the natives, but make sure you take every precaution you can think of. Store anything of value aboard the ships as well. Remember, we’re not here to start conflicts. This is to be a trading port, and there may be valuable goods we can acquire from the locals.”

“Do you think they’ll have anything worth making all this effort worth it?”

“I don’t know. The primary goal of this port is to give us an easier way to resupply and stay in touch with the homeland, but if we’re going to do it, we should try to make it actually profitable. I’ll make sure to give orders to the schooner captain to bring back items useful for trading; tools, textiles, and the like.”

“I’ll make sure we keep everything safe.”

“I know you will. While the captains are in charge of their ships, I’m placing you in charge of the port itself until someone from home sees fit to send someone senior. Also, be on the watch for sickness. I seem to remember the Consul mentioning something about a disease carried by mosquitoes when he spoke of Africa. I want you to send word to him and the Empress through the commander of the Kalb garrison, asking them for any special instructions they might have, and to see if you can find out more about this disease and how we can protect ourselves from it.”

Dismissing the optio, Valdar went to give similar instructions to the captains that would be staying behind. This was a risky plan, and there were numerous things that could wipe this small settlement out before it had a chance to get started; but if they could hold on, it could actually turn out to be a viable thing for them in Africa. He’d shipped some goods from Carthaginian ports, before Scandia became more involved in the war, that had originated from ports further east. Getting the goods directly had not been an option for merchants before, considering the land distances involved, but if they could make it around by ship, it might be feasible.