Shit.
Harlan signalled to his men to go underwater and prayed they would do it without splashing about the place. He slipped below the surface and watched the boat pass overhead. Warriors stood at the front of the boat, bows in hand, looking down their arrows at the surrounding water. Harlan knew those defending the walls would not see them through the fog, and he was acutely aware that the men in the water with him were unarmed and stood no chance of surviving if they were spotted.
When he could hold his breath no longer, he broke the surface, quiet and careful. The recruits were not so quiet, gasping in greedy lungfuls of air as they stared after the boat. Harlan silenced them with a glance. Sensing something behind him, he looked over his shoulder and spotted another boat heading towards them.
Down, he signalled.
The men drew a large breath before slipping under the surface once more. It was not just one boat passing this time but four, heading to the cliff face, where Harlan had planned to send the recruits. He gestured for everyone to remain calm as a fifth boat passed overhead. They all desperately needed air, but if they swam up prematurely, a boat or an arrow would hit them.
When no more boats followed, they swam up, silent this time.
‘You think there’s more of them?’ one recruit asked, wide-eyed.
Harlan suspected they were all along the coastline. They had been scoping out the place for months.
The sea lifted them high before plunging them down again. Some of the less fit men were struggling. Harlan checked his surroundings before speaking.
‘Thornton, you’re with me. The rest of you will swim fifty yards west, then make your way inland. Stay as close to the rocks as possible without killing yourselves. I want eyes in all directions.’
‘What are you going to do?’ asked one defender.
Harlan glanced at Roul. ‘We’re going to the port. It’s the easiest entry point, so that’s where most of their boats will be.’ He waited for Roul to object to the suicide mission, but the recruit just listened. ‘Stay together,’ he told the others.
He watched the men until they were out of sight.
‘What’s the plan, Commander?’ Roul asked, sounding surprisingly confident as he surveyed their surroundings.
Harlan wiped water from his face. ‘Stay invisible and don’t drown.’
* * *
Harlan and Roul treaded water, watching the long boats lined up fifty yards from the shore. The warriors did a final check of their weapons before slipping into the sea. It was not that the two defenders were too late to stop them, but they had no means to do so. They were sitting ducks with one dagger between them, while the warriors had swords, daggers, shields, bows, and arrows slung over their backs. They moved like wolves, stealthy and silent.
Harlan tried to come up with a viable plan. Yes, he could do plenty of harm with one knife, but not from that distance and not with those odds.
One warrior remained in each boat, keeping guard. They were younger and likely less experienced than the men going ashore. That would work in his favour.
‘They after food?’ Roul whispered.
‘Everyone’s after food.’ Harlan signalled for Roul to follow him, pointing to the closest boat where the young warrior was standing at the front of the vessel, looking towards the shore.
Roul nodded.
Slipping below the surface, the men swam slowly over to it, deep enough to not be visible from above. They tucked themselves against the hull of the boat as they surfaced, taking a moment to catch their breath.
Carefully, Harlan lifted his shirt and drew his dagger, listening for movement above. All was silent—and time was running out. Clamping the knife between his teeth, he reached for the side of the boat and nodded to Roul. The defender sank down and took hold of his foot, hoisting him into the air. Harlan burst from the water and fell into the boat. The startled warrior turned, eyes widening when he saw the defender. He reached for his sword, but much too late. Harlan’s mouth opened, and the blade dropped into his hand. A beat later, the knife flew through the air, lodging itself in the warrior’s chest. Harlan was on his feet a moment later, stealing the man’s sword before kicking him overboard. He knew he had only a few seconds before the warriors in the other boats realised what was happening.
Roul hauled himself into the vessel just as they released the first arrow.
‘Stay down,’ Harlan said as another arrow whistled overhead. He crawled to the back of the boat where he had seen a bow, thanking God for the supply of weapons at his disposal.
The sea warriors had come prepared for war.
Harlan tossed another bow to Roul, along with a quiver of arrows.
‘I’ve seen you shoot,’ Harlan said. ‘You’re a decent shot. But let’s see how you go under pressure.’
A nod was his only response.
