Chapter 1: Captain Talus

After the pirate attack it had become evident that Talus's ship, the Talus's Fortune was deficient in its crew. The little nomad scouts were fine in the desert when they could hide, sneak, stalk and track, but on the wide open trackless waves, they were under manned with archers. Only two of Talus's crew could fire bows, three if you counted nine year old Song and his child's bow. Chin and Chou also were archers, but the other archers were on the other three boats, John's boat the Sweetie's Perch and Tuk's the Sword Sister and Saka's the Tuk's Princess.

The throwing knives of Lishta and Farish were of impractical use onboard a vessel, and could easily become lost overboard. They didn't float like arrows did. They had chosen as a vessel to play hapless victim until boarded, and to then overwhelm the pirates hand to hand. The pirate vessel was looted and scuttled, since John didn't want to risk it being used for piracy again.

It wasn't until the storm blew up suddenly that the corollary became evident- If you didn't have the strength to draw a bow, you wouldn't have the strength to hold the rudder in place. Talus's Fortune had both Song and Chou on the sweep, but the power of the wind made holding it in place impossible, and lashing it down was to invite disaster. There was no choice but to turn, and run before the wind, holding away from the coast.

John had discussed the sea with all the captains, and contingency plans called for meeting at the Pillars of Hercules in three, six, or nine months time, a year being the last that anyone would be looking for any missing to turn up alive. However, a cairn would be emplaced to hold the next rondevous point marked in the caravan scout markings, and a cairn at that location would reveal the next destination, and so on.

The storm blew the helpless ship north and east, with Captain Talus trying to keep off the shore, with open ocean ahead until the blow was over. They just missed the Island of Cyprus, but were able to shelter behind it for the few days it took for the winds to die down. When they could, they beached, and looked to their animals, and replenished stores and water.

Sukuli and the other camels were glad to get off and stretch their legs, none of them enjoyed the wave tossed storm. They were all within a few months of birthing, and feeling a bit queasy anyway. Sukuli was the only one of John's also-wives to travel with Talus and the nomad scouts.

Being close enough to a man, Chou was their face, since no one would take Talus seriously unless they were of the caravan. He bartered for rope, hemp canvas to replace their tattered sails, and other provisions. They decided to stay close to shore and travel west, toward the pillars of Hercules. Rouya was acting navigator, and Chin was first into the rigging, he practically lived up in the ropes.

Rouya was second into the rigging, but only because Chin was so fast, and because she had navigation duties to perform also. When the ship was in shape, they loaded the grumbling camels and Sukuli back on board, and set the sails to the west.

Zithrusa was distraught, imagining the worst, but John, and Vedeya were able to calm her down by telling her that Talus was a good sailor, and he had a good crew. He had Sukuli, and the little scouts. They would be able to survive anything, even if their ship foundered, because they all wore life vests at all times. Last seen, they had wisely been running with the wind, sea anchor out to slow them. They would catch up and rejoin them when they could.

Finally it was Sweetie who calmed her also-mother down, by grabbing her tear dampened hair in her tiny fist when Vedeya put her in Zithrusa's arms. Awhile later the lonely sounds of the erghil wafted across the still tossing waves, like the siren call of mermaids. With the worst of her sorrow expressed, Zithrusa was able to put on a brave face, but inside she was as brittle as broken glass, and hurt as much as if she was.

When the situation was again stable, Vedeya went back aboard her Sword Sister's ship, the Tuk's Princess and the three ships weighed anchor, set sails and got under way. They set out west again, after leaving the protecting headland which had given them shelter, keeping a wary eye out for any more pirates.

Talus had proved canny and brave, sailing his ship inexpertly in a perfect way to draw the attacking sea wolves down on the weakest prey, while he positioned himself within extended bow range of all three of his sister ships. The three archers had kept the pirates attention on them while accurate and deadly arrows flew from three different directions picking them off at the edges, slaying half the pirates number before they realized they were in danger.

Then Talus had caused his ship to leap alongside the pirate vessel, shearing off the oars along one side, causing mayhem below decks among the rowers chained to the benches, but it could not be helped. Any who survived would be set free, and being prisoner chained in a pirate ship was only a slow death in any case.

The momentum was gauged to a nicety, and the brave sea scouts were amongst the pirates in an instant, deadly as a desert devil wind, and as hard to catch. A few had swum under the pirate ship and come over the far railing, falling on them from behind, their slippery nude bodies none the less armed and deadly, dripping salt sea water as they spilled the salty pirate blood.The pirates were all finished and feeding the sharks before the other three ships had come up, and then the mess below decks was sorted out.