Corsair

her; she had ripped off the ruined top of her dress and tucked his oversized shirt into what was now a very uneven- looking skirt. His cloak hung down to her ankles, and she hugged it close around her shoulders. They regarded each other for a moment.

“I’m Geran,” he told her. “I mean you no harm. If you like, I’ll see you to Hulburg and help you on your way once we get there.”

“My name is Nimessa Sokol.” She held the cloak tightly around her collar, as if she meant to hide inside it. “We were bound for Hulburg. We were supposed to land there this afternoon.”

“You’re a Sokol?”

“Yes. My father is Arandar Sokol.” She glanced over Geran’s shoulder at the trail leading back along the hills toward the cove. There was a smudge of orange light flickering against the hillside. “Is it safe to linger here?”

“No, we should keep moving,” he said. Geran didn’t know any of the Sokol family personally, but he knew of them. They were from the city of Phlan, a few days’ sail west of Hulburg. Like many of the wellborn folk around the Moonsea, they were merchant-nobles; they had interests in several cities, including Hulburg. “It’s a little less than twenty miles to Hulburg, by my guess. Too far to ride tonight, but I think we can put the pirates well behind us.”

“Then yes, I’ll be happy to let you see me to Hulburg. But you won’t have to go to any more trouble on my account. My family’s coster has a trading concession there. I’ll be fine.”

“In that case, I suggest we ride another few miles and then get off the trail. We’ll be home by noon tomorrow.”

“Home?” Nimessa looked more closely at Geran. “Of course. You’re Geran Hulmaster, the harmach’s nephew. You’re the one who fought the King in Copper and killed Mhurren of the Bloodskulls. We heard the story. But what in the world were you doing by that beach? You must be mad to challenge so many enemies at once.”

Geran allowed himself a small smile. “I’ll answer, but let’s ride while we talk.” He helped Nimessa up into the saddle again, not that she really needed the assistance, then settled himself behind her. They rode eastward along the crest of the coastal hills, following the winding trail. The moon draped the dark landscape in silver and shadow; it was clear enough that the promontories and inlets for several miles ahead were visible, and the Moonsea was a great, gray plain stretching out of sight on their right. With Nimessa’s slim body in front of him and her golden curls just under his nose, it did not seem like such a bad night for a ride after all.

“How did you come to find me when you did?” Nimessa asked.

“An accident. I left Thentia early this morning and was looking for a place to make camp for the evening when I stumbled across the pirates and your ship. I was about to ride offwhen they brought you out and tied you up.” He shrugged awkwardly, even though she couldn’t see him. “I couldn’t leave you in their hands without at least trying to help, but I had to wait until it was dark before I could move. You saw the rest.”

“The fire on Whitewing?”

“Yes, I’m afraid that was my doing. I figured that she was a loss already, so I might as well deny the pirates their prize while making a distraction.” They rode on for a short time, and then Geran sighed. He hated to ask what he asked next, but he thought he’d better. “I watched for a while, Nimessa. I didn’t see any other captives. Were you the only one they spared?”

“Yes.” She looked down. “There was no one else left to save.”

“Were you-” he began, and then he stopped himself. He was going to ask if she’d been traveling alone, but he knew better. A young noblewoman of a good family would have been accompanied, most likely by a maid-in-waiting or a kinsman. There was a chance that the pirates would spare wellborn captives in the hopes of winning a rich ransom, but somehow he doubted that they’d intended to ransom Nimessa back to her family. And if they hadn’t intended to ransom her, no one else in her party would have been worth keeping alive. He let the question die on his lips. He could only imagine what she’d seen and been through. Even if she was made of stern stuff, it would not be easy on her.

After a while he realized that she was shaking inside his oversized cloak, and she failed to stifle a sob. He frowned behind her, trying to decide if it was kinder to leave her to her thoughts for a time, distract her with meaningless conversation, or draw her out and let her tell her story. Half an hour ago you were thinking of her as a princess in a Waterdeep romance story, and you the brave knight, Geran fumed at himself. She’s seen more murder and cruelty in a few short hours than most people do in a lifetime. And he’d certainly contributed his own share with his furious skirmish on the beach. All she knew of him was that he’d stolen her out of a pirate camp, savagely cutting down anyone in his path. Regardless of the reasons he gave for his actions, she had to wonder whether his motives were honorable or not.

Not knowing what else to do, he squeezed her hand and said, “It’s over now, Nimessa.” She nodded but did not answer.

Geran found a spot that he remembered along the track and paused to look around. They still had the trail to themselves, as far as he could tell. He spurred his horse up and over the crest of the hill. An old footpath led into the low thickets and hedgerows of a small valley where a stream descended to the sea below. They headed inland into the empty hills. If the pirates were still in pursuit, Geran figured that they’d likely follow the coastal trail. They couldn’t know where Geran and Nimessa had left the trail unless they had a very good tracker with them.

A long-abandoned homestead stood at the head of the valley. It might have been wiser to keep on going, but he was exhausted, and the moon would be setting soon. There were dangers other than pirates abroad in the Highfells at night, and Geran didn’t care to meet them in the dark. He dismounted and led his horse inside the old house. There was a back door leading out to overgrown fields behind the house; if they had to, they could flee deeper into the hills.

He helped Nimessa down then busied himself with setting up a small camp. “I think it’s safe to rest a couple of hours,” he said. “We can’t ride all night, and I’m too tired to go much farther. My apologies for the accommodations.”

“For some reason a lonely old ruin in the middle of nowhere doesn’t seem so bad to me tonight,” Nimessa answered. She found a small, rueful smile. “Do you know where we are?”

“More or less. I used to hunt up here when I was younger.”

Geran found some dry brush and built a small fire inside the old hearth. He stepped around the corner to change into the last of his dry clothing and spread his wet clothes out in front of the fire. Then he shared his provisions with Nimessa, and they made a supper out of a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, dried sausage, and apples. She ate ravenously.

When Nimessa finished, she looked up at him and brushed a hand across her eyes. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday evening,” she explained.

“I understand.”

“And I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet for saving my life.” Nimessa dropped her gaze. “I don’t know what moved you to risk your own life to save a stranger, but I’m very glad that you came along when you did. The things they said they would do to me-I can’t even think of it.”

“Do you know who they were?” Geran asked gently.

“The ship’s name was Kraken Queen. I saw it painted on her stern. The captain was a fierce man, maybe fifty or so, and almost as tall as you. He wore braids in his hair and beard. I never heard any of the crewmen call him anything other than ‘Captain.’”

Geran remembered the figurehead of the tentacled mermaid. The name fit the ship. “How did they catch you?”

“They stole up on us before sunrise this morning. When the sun came up and we spotted them, they were only a couple of miles off. Master Parman tried to outrun the pirate ship, but the wind died down around noon, and after that Whitewing didn’t stand a chance.” Nimessa hesitated, and she huddled deeper in Geran’s cloak. “They killed everyone else, but the pirate captain ordered his men to spare me for-later.”

“You don’t have to say more.”

Nimessa fell silent, and Geran frowned, digesting the story. Whitewing made five ships he knew of that hadn’t reached Hulburg in the last few months. Piracy was choking the trade of the city little by little. Something would have to be done, and soon. “Well, it’s over now,” he told her. “You’re out of their reach. Try to sleep for a few hours.”

He let her have his bedroll and went to tend to his horse. He gave the animal an extra pat on the neck by way