Caleb glanced once more to the north through his spyglass. One of the four pinnaces had surged to the fore. It now led the other three by a small margin.

His mind went back to the conversation they’d overheard between Delacroix and the captain of the Stone Angel. Once Tavia had confirmed what she’d remembered, he recalled more of what was said.

He thought a moment longer before turning back to his four officers.

“All right, I agree with that running the gauntlet of Delacroix’s guns is extremely risky. But there’s no way we’re going to hold off a grappling attack by two or more of those pinnaces.”

“So we’re turning back south,” Tavia said, relieved.

“No, we’re going to continue to run north.”

The unicorn let out a snort. “North? But you just said–”

“I said that we couldn’t hold off an attack by two or more ships,” Caleb specified. “But I’m betting that we can bluff our way through.”

“What doth thou have in mind?” Shaw asked.

“The frigate captain said that if the Gilarskans were telling the truth, they’d have intercepted us already from the north. Obviously, the Myrkur and Gilarska are talking with each other, but they’re not in constant communication. Otherwise, they’d have known that we hadn’t been caught yet.”

“I follow you so far,” Sienna said. “But what good does that do us?”

As Caleb spoke, a new screen popped up in his Quest Window, but he shunted it aside for the moment.

“It means the Gilarskans don’t know that the Myrkur haven’t caught us yet either. I’m betting that we can play to that advantage.”

Now Sienna smiled. “What are your orders, Captain?”

Caleb glanced skyward to the top of the mainmast. It shone bare in the sunlight.

“Let’s get that Myrkur pennant we have below fluttering at the top of the mainmast as soon as possible.”

“Yezzir, it shall be done.”

Sienna spotted the two young lookouts and called to them. Ethan and Aiden went below for a moment, then emerged on deck carrying the scarlet pennant bearing a grinning black skull. They began to climb the ropes, holding it between them.

“Next up,” Caleb continued, “Get as many crewman on deck as you can, so long as they’re dressed in a Guardsman or Sea Viper vest. They’re to act casually, as if going about their jobs, but they need to be armed and ready to fight. I want you leading them in case we have to repel boarders.”

“What’s our play, then?” Donal asked, frowning. “That we’re a Myrkur ship now?”

“Specifically, that we’ve just been captured by Delacroix and company. I’ll call out to the lead pinnace and explain that I’m captaining the prize for now.”

“A good plan, but it won’t work unless you look like one of the Myrkur,” Tavia pointed out.

Caleb looked down at his bare shirt and cursed. “Dammit, I forgot. One of Liliana Nevin’s fireballs ruined my captain’s jacket. Sienna, see if anyone among the crew can lend me something for this engagement.”

“Prayer’s up, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“If we’re going to get within hailing distance,” Donal added, “then it’ll be a very fine margin between their being convinced and tryin’ to board us.”

“Agreed,” Caleb said heavily. “I’ll head to the forecastle, then. Then I’ll signal back to you for a hard turn to steerboard or larboard if everything goes to Myr in a handbasket.”

“I’ve also got something that might be of use.” Donal called down to the main deck, where a crewman gave him a hand-held device. “Two of our gammers at the sail-and-rope weaving station helped me come up with it.”

Caleb immediately recognized it as he took it in hand. A cone of stiff canvas was held in shape by a pair of wooden hoops, one large and one small. The hoops were joined by a support piece and a carved handle.

“You made me a megaphone!” he exclaimed.

“Never heard it called by that name before,” Donal admitted. “But it’s a fair approximation of what we call a loudhailer.”

Shaw cleared his throat. “Doth thou wish for Tavia and I to join thee atop yon forecastle?”

“I want the quartermaster to help conceal you on the main deck,” Caleb said, throwing a glance at Sienna, who nodded. “Tavia, you’re with me. I’ll still need you to keep as low a profile as you can.”

The mare’s horn bobbed in assent. “So long as there’s a railing for me to lie behind, that shan’t be a problem.”

“Good. Sienna, do we have any Murray brothers left who aren’t in the infirmary?”

“Aye, I’m up here!” Rory called down from the afterdeck. “Lir as my witness, I’m itching to take the fight to someone after being’ hit with that fear-magic!”

“You may get your wish, and then some. I want you and Ferris Pender to come up to the forecastle with me and Miss Morningstar.”

A quick Yezzir, and the two young men followed their Captain and the First Mate as they made their way forward. Caleb took a moment to glance at what he now thought of as his Vital Statistics Window.

Two of the three horizontal bars in gleamed green and blue at him. The green one representing his health was full. The blue bar showing his physical stamina had dropped by a third.

I guess that makes sense. I’ve been running around on deck. But mostly I’ve been fighting stress and emotional fatigue brought on by Delacroix’s eldritch fire. And where’s my bar showing my magical energy?

Sadly, the bar was barely more than a black strip. Only the tiniest sliver of yellow shone back at him. He resisted the urge to curse once more and looked at the new screen in his Quest Window.

New Adventurer's-Level Quest: Attempt to bluff a way through the Gilarskan pinnace blockade. Bonus of 20% to the next completed quest if this can be done without initiating combat. STATUS: IMMINENT

Caleb’s group made their way up to the forward deck, taking station at the bow. No sooner than he dismissed the lookout than another crew member joined them briefly to hand out Myrkur jackets to the Captain and the two riflemen. He shrugged on the black jacket of a Guardsman, hoping that whoever he spoke to wouldn’t notice that his clothing lacked an officer’s silver fringe.

“Stand by and await my orders,” Caleb instructed his companions. “We’ll see just how convincing I can be.”

Rory and Ferris nodded. They stepped back from the point of the bow, keeping their rifles close at hand. Tavia simply settled down on the deck behind the forward railing, keeping her presence hidden from the enemy for now.

Caleb put the spyglass to his eye. The four Gilarskan ships had drawn very close now. Each was half the size of the Spitfire, with arrow-shaped bows and low, narrow sides.

Sets of grappling hooks with razor-sharp tines glinted from their railings. Their decks were packed with fighting men dressed in Gilarskan colors. Most were armed with cutlasses, but at least a half-dozen carried rifles.

Now he could make out the name Savage on the bow of the leading ship. The other pinnaces’ names came into view as well: Reckless, Wild, and Fierce.

He turned and glanced back over the deck of his own ship. More than two dozen men and a few women clad in Myrkur shades of blue and black went about their business. A small group, Jaime Quinton’s gun crew, clustered casually near one of the forward cannon.

A large, dark piece of tarpaulin lay amidships. It draped over what looked like a bundle of barrels and crates. But the single twitch of a lion’s tail under the fabric told him that a battle-ready griffin lurked underneath.

The deck shifted slightly as Donal maneuvered to keep tacking into the wind. The change brought the Savage within hailing range as it approached along the bow’s steerboard quarter. Caleb grabbed a line to steady himself and then stood tall on the forward deck’s railing.

They can’t miss my Myrkur jacket now, he thought to himself. Hopefully this kicks in a little Piratical Flair as a bonus. I could use all the bonuses available right now.

He reached inside himself and invoked two of his Corsair-related abilities.

Charisma Boost Bluff Assist

Caleb brought the loudhailer to his mouth. At the last second, he wondered whether the Gilarskans aboard ship might know his name. Either their king, his recalcitrant daughter, or the Myrkur might have told them about one Caleb Ledger.

Not a problem, he thought. There’s at least one name I know that they won’t.

“Ahoy the Savage! This is Komtur Jace Ancona, of the prize sloop Spitfire! Captain Jurek instructed me to take the prize north, out of the battle area!”

A man with a scraggly beard moved to the bow, cupped his hands, and shouted back.

“Ahoy the Spitfire! This is Captain Terrell of the pinnace Savage. Well met Komtur Ancona, but you’re supposed to turn the sloop over to us! Now!”

Caleb took a breath before replying.

Dammit, the boost to my persuasive skills only got me so far.

“Hold on, Captain Jurek – no, Lord High Captain Delacroix gave me different orders! We’re supposed to bring her into port first!”

That got a laugh in return as the two ships drew even closer together.

“Into port?” Terrell scoffed. “What, are you planning to put in at Boruta, maybe offload some excess cannonballs in trade for rum? Furl your sails immediately!”

Well, crap!

“Uh, no can do,” Caleb replied. “We’ve got, ah, sickness on board. Very contagious, very deadly sickness. The kind that gives you spots!”

“Oh, Kirren help me,” Tavia muttered, from nearby.

Caleb’s mind flashed back to the limitation of his Bluffing skill as a Corsair.

Bluff Assist: The possibility of a bluff succeeding is improved when it is in alignment with the subject’s beliefs.

The Captain aboard the Savage scowled. He drew his sword and held it high overhead.

“Damn your eyes, maulding cultist scum!” he shouted. “Men, run up the colors! Let fly and take that sloop as a prize!”

Instantly, a trio of colorful pennants was hoisted atop the small ship’s mainmast, passing the signals to the other three pinnaces. Men aboard the Savage went to the rail and grabbed their grappling hooks. The half-dozen or so with rifles raised their weapons and let off a ragged volley.

Caleb jumped down from the rail as rifle shots whistled through the air around him. He turned aft and waved one arm, pointing in the direction he wanted.

“Hard to larboard!” he shouted. Back on the quarterdeck, Donal spun the wheel. Caleb bellowed down to the rest of his crew as the deck shifted underfoot. “All hands, prepare to repel boarders, steerboard side!”

Immediately, the main deck exploded into action. His crew drew pistols and cutlasses. Shaw threw back the tarpaulin with a sweep of a wing. The griffin let out a lion’s roar as he moved across the deck to do battle.