Tangled webs - Elaine Cunningham [49]
The two men rowed hard, and before long they had the Elfmaid in sight. Once on board, ibn strode directly over to Hrolf:
"Call a Thing," he demanded, using the ancient word for a council of law. By Northman law any ship's officer had the right to request that such council be convened, but only to deal with matters of grave import.
Hrolf eyed the first mate warily. "What's this about, lad?"
"The female, that's what. She attacked me-a ship's officer-with her drow sorcery."
"You seem hale enough," the captain pointed out. "Would you be happier if she'd left me dead?" ibn retorted. "A hit or near miss, in the eyes of the law it's all the same, and well you know it!"
Perplexed by this development, the captain turned his gaze slowly over the men who had gathered to hear ibn's words. Almost without exception, they nodded agreement to ibn's assessment of the matter.
Hrolf sighed and turned to Fyodor. "You'd better bring her topside, lad. We've got to get to the root of this."
The young warrior nodded grimly and disappeared into the hold. He and Liriel returned to find the men seated in a tight semicircle on the deck.
"The Thing begins," Hrolf said, his face creased with regret. "You stand before the ship's council, Liriel Baenre, accused of attacking a ship's officer with sorcery. What do you say to this?"
The drow's chin lifted defiantly. "Whatever the man's position, has he the right to creep up on me, to threaten me with a knife? As you can see, ibn is strong and well. I did nothing but stop his attack. If i'd attacked him, he'd be dead. If you doubt the truth of this, i'd be more than happy to demonstrate," she said, leveling a cold glare at her accuser. 'And if using my so-called sorcery defies your laws, why did you not object when we came through the gates at Skullport?" "Those are good points," Hrolf said hopefully.
ibn folded his arms over his chest. "The charge stands," he growled. "She tossed me into a damned big spiderweb and shot me with one o' them accursed darts."
"But why didn't you come forward sooner, lad?" "Yourself sent me off in that blasted little tub before my head cleared," ibn retorted. "And don't think i'm happy about the rest of you lads thinking i got into the mead, or that i don't know good stuff from tainted. She musta splashed it on me!"
"Spiderwebs, darts smaller than your little finger, and a half swallow of honey wine-it's a wonder you survived all that," Liriel observed with acid sarcasm.
Some of the men chuckled, and Hrolf passed a hand over his bewhiskered mouth to cover a smile. But ibn's face turned an angry red.
"i upheld your orders, Captain-i didn't lay hand on the wench. Not even when i found her casting magic in the hold, talking to them pickled elves like they was old cronies-holding hands with one of 'em! it was clear as sunrise that she knows more about all that than she's let on." The mate paused to let those words sink deep. "i been sailing with you a long time, Hrolf: i expect you to do right by me and by them."
Oh, well done, Liriel thought with grim admiration. She knew Hrolf well enough to realize that ibn had touched several of the captain's sensitive spots.
A perplexed Hrolf chewed his mustache as he considered his dilemma. Most of the men had begun to accept Liriel's presence among them, and all of them seemed willing to grant her strange ways some leeway; But there were things that even he as captain could not ignore. If any other man had thrown weapons-Qf any sort-at the first mate, it would have been considered tantamount to mutiny. The standard punishment was a quick toss overboard. Granted, ibn had pulled a knife on the lass, but it sounded as if he thought he had a good reason to do so. "Three ships behind us, closing fast!" came the urgent voice of the man on watch.
The captain exploded to his feet, a look of intense relief on his face. "We're under attack, lads!" he roared out. "And Tempus be praised for it," he muttered into his beard.
Xzorsh and Sittl saw the approaching warships before the humans perceived their danger.
"Three to one. It