The Lives of Velnin chapter 26
Desperate Measures
As the army of the Dark Empire approached from the north, the fleet both grew, and grew busy. Soraina was marching directly towards Tarmel, alternately destroying any town that opposed her and accepting fealty from those who quietly surrendered. Fealty was not on offer from Tarmel, and thus we expected utter destruction.
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From Tarmel itself came 180 three-banked galleys. Rounding out the fleet with our many allies from the League of the Citadel, the total came to 378. Nominally, Lordan was in command of the fleet as a whole. Realistically, we were a rabble, each contingent commanded by a captain from his kingdom, and only held together due to fear of the Dark Empire's fleet and my quiet bribery of various commanders to stay and fight with the others.
The fighting men of Tarmel marched or were ferried to the Isthmus. There, they built a wall across the Isthmus, in preparation for one more defensive stand. Between the army of the Dark Empire and Tarmel itself there were no natural barriers, no strongly defensible points, now that Dragonclaw Pass had fallen. We would fight to defend other kingdoms, where our people would have to settle if we lost.
The women and children of Tarmel we ferried to Soppressatas Island across the strait to the west. With Tarmel's fleet docked at the mainland and the rest of our allies docked across the strait, the island would be well defended from sea attack, until things were resolved one way or another.
Soraina's army continued to march on from the north, looting and destroying towns and burning the countryside as they went. Finally, they reached the kingdom of Tarmel, abandoned for all but a few die-hards. The capital burned. All that we had left was looted. And as the towers of the castle blazed on the horizon, our fragile coalition began to panic.
Many did not wait for orders, but hoisted their sails, planning to sail for thse Isthmus, and make their stand with the army. They came to Lordan, and did their best to convince him. Tarmel was lost, after all. Why park our fleet defending it, when it no longer existed?
I too came to him, and pointed out a number of facts. Firstly: our victories only came in confined waters; all knew the Dark Empire's fleet would crush us with their superior numbers in the open ocean near the Isthmus; their open-ocean sailing was also known to be better. Secondly: if Soppressatas Island was abandoned, Tarmel's fleet would have to pull out and focus on ferrying our women and children away. The allied fleet would be halved, and could not triumph. Thirdly—and this I said quietly, only to Lordan—the moment we cut and ran from the strait, each captain would certainly sail for his own home port and give up the fight. We would be ruined.
Lordan loudly proclaimed that we would stay and draw our enemies into battle in the strait. I passed out gold and silver freely to the most influential captains among our allies, and their voices of agreement were added to my own. The coalition held, and we stayed.
The days passed. Soraina's forces continued to make their way through Tarmel, looting and burning. Contingents of her army reached the shoreline and set up patrols, and Tarmel's ships moved their anchor across the strait to Soppressatas Island. Patrols set and points occupied, the greater part of her land forces prepared to march towards the Isthmus and to do battle.
Her fleet was not idle. It moved on and made anchor in a bay at the south of Tarmel, just to the east of the strait. There, our spies reported, Soraina joined them and—the shoreline now prepared with her army—made plans to smash our fleet where it stood.
Panic spread throughout our fragile fleet coalition, worse than before. Whispers that Lordan was mad, making an impossible stand, spread quietly throughout the sailors and their captains. Each looked to his own skin, and the enemy upon the mainland. The thought ran that if we did battle and lost, all would die: any ship which crashed upon the mainland would have its sailors captured by Soraina's army, and with our fleet lost, any sailors who returned to Soppressatas Island would be simply be trapped. Soon these whispers burst into the open, and Lordan was forced to call a meeting of the captains.
I made my strongest arguments, save for pointing out that the fleet would disperse once we left the strait, knowing to imply their cowardice—however correctly—would doom my cause. "Lordan—here and now, we together have the chance to save all—every kingdom, Talore and Tarmel included. Let us look at our options. If we fight by the Isthmus, we will fight in open sea. The Dark Empire's lighter, more maneuverable ships will be at advantage, and their superior numbers will crush us. Furthermore, their land army will follow their ships—and so will be drawn towards Talore, burning every town on the way and soon, every kingdom behind it. And further, their fleet could at that point simply bypass the Isthmus entirely, ferrying the army past our wall and making our land defense worthless.
"On the other hand, if we fight in the strait, we will be at advantage. With the confined waters, their greater numbers will not be brought to bear, and our heavier ships and better boarding troops will triumph ship to ship. Further, their advance will be stopped here and now; they will go no further. And if we defeat their fleet, their army will have no choice but to turn around, as we could cut off their supplies and block their escape path past Mermaid's Point."
To this one captain booed, then spoke up—Adeimantus, from a kingdom west of the Isthmus. "My friends," he said, "we stand addressed by one who does not even have a kingdom—his lays in ashes. Should he even have leave to speak, among those still fighting to defend their own people? Let the ruins of his capital tell us what good his advice has brought. Nay, let him find himself a kingdom before contributing his useless ideas, and let the rest of us see to our own."
I grew red in the face. "Our kingdom is greater than yours, for we have one hundred and eighty ships. Should I need a capital to speak from, I could simply land my ships at your kingdom, and it would fall to us in a day. For that matter, should we pull back to the Isthmus, the Dark Empire's fleet could do the exact same thing to you—our fleet would no longer be in the way."
I turned away from him, back to Lordan. "Stay here, stand as men of courage, and we will save all. Flee to the Isthmus, and all is lost—including our ships, as we will have to evacuate our women and children from Soppressatas Island, and will not be able to join you, should the Dark Empire's fleet attack you immediately."
My arguments were the same as last time. I quickly saw, however, that this time they would not prevail. Red-faced captains, flushed with an anger that barely hid their fear, began shouting them down, hurling accusations and threatening to leave the fleet entirely if it did not move its anchor. Those I had bribed previously saw the way things were going, and largely remained silent. Lordan, his scarred face stern and imposing, no longer could quell the dissenters with his demeanor.
I stepped out of the meeting.
Desperate measures were called for. I looked at the envelopes Soraina had given my brother, Veldin. Sitting down at a desk, I began to write.
From Prince Vel of Tarmel, to the Dark Empress, Soraina.
My dearest Soraina,
Wishing your continued triumph in battle, ideally over the kingdoms of my cowardly so-called allies rather than my own kingdom's land, I write to inform you that the ships of the allies are in a state of panic and planning to flee. They are disunited and in poor condition to resist. Block their exits, and your triumph is assured.
With love and fond memories,
Vel.
I copied the message in triplicate and sealed a copy in each of three of Soraina's envelopes. I handed the envelopes and three crossbows to my trusted retainer, to sail across the strait with and deliver by crossbow bolt to various camps of Soraina's men. I prayed she would receive my letter in time, and react how I hoped.
The Lives of Velnin chapter 27
The captains continued arguing as night approached. Lordan had proclaimed that every captain who wished would have his say: all would have a chance to speak, all would have a chance to convince the others, and Lordan, of the future strategy of the fleet. It was, in retrospect, brilliant.
Book 1 now out on Amazon! The Lives of Velnin: THE BLACK CITADEL collects Chapters 1-14 of the story so far.
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