All Black Moon ships will withdraw together at sunrise, unless the High Captain personally instructs you otherwise. Make sure your crew understands that stragglers will be left behind. If you are in possession of the starry compass, you will accompany Kraken Queen to Neshuldaar-it is the eleventh islet. Otherwise, you are to make for the River Lis and the Inner Sea.
No pirate has ever assembled a five-ship raid in the Moonsea. Strike hard, strike fast, and the harmach’s men will never know what hit them.
Kamoth
“Merciful Ilmater,” Geran breathed. The Black Moon intended to attack Hulburg, and only four days from now! With five ships they could easily carry five or six hundred men. Given the advantage of surprise, they could cause unimaginable damage. Somehow he had to find a way to warn Harmach Grigor. The corsairs expected to strike a sleeping town without any idea that danger approached from the sea, but if the harmach called out the Spearmeet and mustered the merchant company armsmen to meet the pirate attack on the wharves, Hulburg might drive off the Black Moon with little harm.
Geran, Narsk is coming up the gangplank! Hamil shouted in his mind. You have to get out of there now!
Geran stuffed the two letters back into the pouch and then put the pouch back under the mattress where he’d found it. He could hear Narsk’s snarling voice just outside the cabin door. He took one quick look around the cabin to make sure he hadn’t left anything obviously out of place, then jammed the coin with the light spell back into his pocket and cleared his mind. The key rattled in the lock as he closed his eyes and whispered, “Seiroch!”
There was an instant of icy blackness, and then he stumbled as he appeared in the darkness of the hold beneath Narsk’s cabin. Sarth reached out to catch him by the arm and steady him. “I’m here, Geran,” the tiefling whispered. “Did you find Kamoth’s instructions?”
“I did.” Geran started to say more, but then he heard the door in the cabin above creak open and Narsk’s footsteps overhead. The gnoll’s harness jingled, and he heard the muffled sounds of something heavy tossed onto the bunk, followed by a cloak dropped to the floor. Then Narsk paused and snarled low in his throat like an angry wolf. Quick footsteps crisscrossed the cabin several times, then they heard the gnoll hurry back out to the deck.
“Did you leave something behind?” Sarth asked Geran.
“I don’t think so. But I must have left something out of place.” He grimaced. It couldn’t be helped now. All they could do was rejoin the crew and try to behave innocently.
They picked up casks of salted pork from the storeroom and carried them through the midships crew quarters-where they passed several of their crewmates-forward to the galley. Tao Zhe was not there; Geran breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t really come up with a good reason why he and Sarth would bring the Shou cook something he hadn’t asked for yet, but they had to have some reason for being in the storeroom under the captain’s quarters.
They climbed back up onto the main deck and found Hamil waiting for them there. “Trouble,” Hamil said quietly. I think Narsk has got your scent.
“My scent?” Geran looked back toward the captain’s cabin. Narsk was standing just outside the door, sniffing the air. Geran had no idea how keen a gnoll’s sense of smell was, but given Narsk’s hyena-like muzzle, he had to believe it was sharper than his own. The question was, did he have enough of Geran’s scent to identify him or not?
“If you found what you needed in Narsk’s cabin, this may be the right time to jump ship,” Sarth murmured. “What more do we have to gain by remaining on board?”
Geran thought quickly. He needed to find a way to warn Hulburg about what was coming. That was the foremost consideration. He’d like to find out more about the starry compass and what it was for, or continue his corsair career and see what more he could learn about the Black Moon Brotherhood, but those were secondary goals. He looked over to Hamil and asked, “Did Narsk bring anything aboard when he returned? Maybe a parcel of some kind?”
“Yes, something about the size of a hatbox. I thought it strange that he carried it instead of giving it to one of the men who went with him. Why, what is it?”
“I think it’s something called a starry compass. It may be important.” Geran turned to Sarth next. “Do you know any sending spells?” he asked.
“I do not have my tomes with me,” the tiefling answered. “They are still aboard Seadrake.”
“Then we have to remain aboard Moonshark. The Black Moon ships are gathering to attack Hulburg two days from now. We won’t find any vessel that will get us to Hulburg faster than that. Somehow we will have to find a way to warn the harmach that the Black Moon is coming.”
Hamil winced. “That’s not much of a warning. Won’t we get to Hulburg at the same time that the other Black Moon ships do?”
“We might find some way to warn Hulburg of our presence,” Geran said. “If nothing else, Sarth might be able to go ahead and provide at least a few minutes’ warning.”
“In that event, it seems that we’re continuing as corsairs for a little longer,” Sarth said. “And that means we have to throw off Narsk’s suspicions. We have to hide your scent somehow, Geran. How, I don’t know.”
“Sorsil! Assemble the crew,” Narsk shouted. “I want every hand before the mainmast now!”
“Aye, Captain!” the first mate replied. She started bellowing for the deckhands to muster on the main deck.
Geran stood petrified for a moment. He was certain that he needed to stay on board, but if Narsk could tell he’d been in his cabin …
“Quickly, Geran!” Hamil said. “Go below to Sarth’s locker. Change into his spare clothes, and dump what you’re wearing over the side. It may reduce your scent.”
It was worth a try. Geran retreated into the galley and from there went belowdecks to the midships crew quarters. His fellow deckhands were complaining as they clambered out of their bunks and made their way up to the main deck; no one paid much attention to him. He found Sarth’s locker, grabbed a tunic and a pair of breeches, and returned to the galley. He stripped, splashed himself with water from the large cask there and scrubbed briefly with a handful of scouring sand Tao Zhe kept in a bucket, and dressed in Sarth’s clothing. He crept back up to the main deck, where most of the ship’s company was assembled, and threw his own clothes over the side before he went to join the rest of the deckhands.
Sorsil spied him trying to slip into the rear of the assembled crew. The fierce first mate stepped over and struck him across the arm with her truncheon. “Laggard!” she snapped. “Next time don’t be the last man to muster!”
Geran saw stars. Holding his arm, he glared after Sorsil, but the first mate had already moved on. Maybe it would have been better to jump ship in Mulmaster after all, he thought.
Before he could rethink his plan, Narsk moved slowly into the middle of the deckhands. “Keep silent and hold still,” the gnoll growled. He went from person to person, towering over most of them, his red eyes gleaming ferally in the lanternlight. He sniffed audibly from time to time, pausing in front of some and then moving on. Geran tried to will himself to calmness. If he allowed himself to start sweating, he would lose the temporary benefit of donning Sarth’s clothing. But he kept his hand close to the hilt of the poniard Hamil had given him, just in case.
Narsk reached him and sniffed several times. Geran met his eyes without flinching. Narsk didn’t expect him to act like he was afraid, so he didn’t. The gnoll narrowed his eyes and asked, “Where were you, Aram?”
“In the galley. I wanted something to eat.”
The gnoll studied him for a moment longer then moved on. Geran kept himself from sighing in relief. When the gnoll finished with the crew, he paced back toward the quarterdeck, muttering to himself.