"Jeffrey Lord - Blade 09 - Kingdom of Royth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lord Jeffery)

make his story plausible "тАФI was a professional soldier. A freelance. There are many such."
"So I hear," said Brora, and that was apparently as much as he was interested in inquiring into
Blade's origins. "Well, I tell yeтАФwhatever ye think ye be worth as a fighter, any shipmaster of Royth
would give ye double it or more were ye to sign on w' him as a guard. Ye've seen what the pirates are
like. 'Tis a miracle sent by Druk to aid honest sailors that we found ye." He thrust out his hand. "Brora
Lanthal's son swears friendship with ye from now 'til death divides us. What say ye?"
Blade clasped the hand and shook it vigorously. "I say yes, Brora."
"Well and good. When Brora speaks, no few o' the Sailor's Guild listen. And we sailors be half the
honest men of Royth these days." Before Blade could ask any further questions, Brora turned away and
began issuing orders about shifting supplies and raising sail. Blade took the chance, a welcome one, to sit
down and rest.


CHAPTER 3
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Blade had plenty of time to rest and think in the five days before they were picked up. Unfortunately, little
of the thinking led to any useful conclusions. During the whole five days all he could guess from the
conversation and from what Brora told him was that the Ocean was surrounded by land. Most of the
land was divided among four kingdoms. Of these kingdoms, the most powerful was theKingdomofRoyth
, from which Brora and his men came. In the Ocean, however, also stood theislandofNeral , somewhat
to the north of their present position. It was the base for a powerful confederacy of pirates, almost a fifth
kingdom in military power, which preyed on the shipping and even on the coasts of the Four Kingdoms.
During the past five years, the pirates had been growing more numerous, more enterprising, and more
ferocious.
Brora had been first mate aboard the Blackfish, the larger of the two merchantmen Blade had seen
burning. Because both ships were larger than usual, and both had well-armed and determined crews,
they had succeeded in sinking one of the pirate galleys outright and setting the other three hopelessly on
fire before themselves going up in flames. This, Brora emphasized, was a very unusual outcome for a
battle against the pirates of Neral. They usually won, taking the ship and cargo, and either murdering,
enslaving, recruiting, or (very rarely) holding for ransom everybody aboard. The survivors of both sides
had made off in their boats; too concerned at first with sheer survival to bother each other. But Brora had
decided that it might be wise to return to the area of the battle, to pick up any salvageable gear that might
prove useful for survival. Apparently the remaining pirates had had the same idea. Thus the encounter.
A passing rain squall had given them several more days' worth of water and one of the sailors had set
several lines over the side for fish. Brora estimated that with reasonable luck with the weather they would
reach shore within three weeks. They were unfortunately farther south than merchant ships on the
east-west route usually sailed, so it was not too likely that they would be picked up. But they were in no
immediate danger, except for the possibility of more pirates or storms. Blade went to sleep that night in a
resigned but relaxed frame of mind.
So it was an agreeable surprise when he was awakened the next morning by cries from the sailors.
"A ship! A ship!"
As always, Blade was fully awake in an instant. He sat up, turned, and looked at the approaching
ship. It was already hull-up, and even at a distance he could see that it was enormous, with three tall
masts each carrying three square sails and a fourth mast with a single triangular lateen sail perched aft.
The high-sided hull gleamed with gilding and dark blue and red paint.
"That's a ship of Royth, sure enough," muttered Brora. "A royal warship, indeed." He looked vaguely
disturbed as he said that.
"Is that unusual?" asked Blade.
"Nay, nay. Royth has a good fleet, tho' no as large as it ought to be, for the safety o' her coasts and
shipping. But ye seldom see a royal warship sailin' by herself in these waters. Ay well, there's naught to