Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Pariah ❯ Gold Arbor Raid ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Pariah and all its content belong to me, Verity.

 

For Scarlett for encouraging me and being my greatest friend.

 

 

 

Chapter One:

Gold Arbor Raid

 

They came at night. Pariah had called for silence on his decks and all lights out. His ship matched the shadows of the world, only the sound of the water parting for his lady was heard. The distance, sounds of the sea licking up the beach of the Gold Arbor. Pariah had planned this for over two months now. There were pirates who oft talked of raiding the Arbor but none had ever attempted such a feat, lest they provoke Richard. There were some fat merchant ships in their berths, rocking lazily as Patience made her way closer. Every deckhand was silent. Her sails were bellied as some crew hung from her rigging. His luck would carry him. The town was drowsed and little more than a few lanterns and sparse lights burned, a few late night cooking fires filled the air with the scent of sizzling meat when they approached closer. They had even snuck by a watch tower that would have warned the Arbor and any nearby settlements of the stalking marauders. The stakes were high and it made him smile. As if Patience herself crawled up onto the beach she ran aground, with a low groan and a shift of sand. She would watch him in all his glory as he took the Arbor. He went forward without a word with sword in hand, he pointed to two men and motioned his head to follow and then others took to join him. They would lead two groups. Pariah would lead his party into the heart of it all. Joer with his men would burn down the merchant ships to give no escape. One would have said it was suicide, Pariah along with fifteen men and Joer with eight and nothing more but a skeleton crew aboard his lady to work her.

 

Pariah had led his party onwards and his men saw the courage and strength there. They would spread the word when they took over the Arbor. Pariah had split them up to three smaller groups. One would put a stable to flame at the left of the town and the other a granary. Three fires would force the city guard split making it all the more easier for attacking the main manor and taking the folk of nobility for ransom. The idea nearly made him smile. He crouched in the shadows and gave his men orders, spreading them out. Pariah slipped his sword ahead him in a crouched stance as he went forwards through the darkness. The manor was in sight, built into the side of a hill overlooking the sea and harbor town. Vines crawled up its sides and its face. It was simple and yet magnificent in all it's simplicity. Just as he wished the smell of fire found his nose as he turned his head towards port. The sails of a fat merchant ship were already going up in flame. Pariah ran for the manor doors.

 

Elsewhere Joer managed to swing up a lantern onto the deck of another merchant ship. Whatever valuables were aboard or crew would have to suffer the burn. The fire spread quicker than he had thought and he smiled and only wished Pariah was getting just as far. Joer rushed to the next ship and then the next. The sounds of the city guard and cries of folk were reaching the skies, the hellish squeals of beasts as the stables went up in flames and then the granary almost seeming to go at a timed decision. The last ship was going up in flames as crew had begun to spill out, only a few folk on watch. They screamed in shrill voices as they attempted to put out the fires. "Well boys" Joer turned to the men that followed him, they seemed itchy to go ahead and fight. A few even turned their heads to look towards town; a longing to join it in the hysteria dawned upon their faces. "Let's take this damned place!" Joer shouted and pulled his sword free; the others took up the cry.

 

Pariah's plan was going well so far. He had snuck his way into the manor and the city guards were already rushing to the fires to attempt at putting it out. The sentries at watch in the manor would have to leave their posts or at least wake the folk of nobility to escort them to safety. Fortunately for him, he had found them first. He came up behind one silently, skillfully. He lunged forwards and his hand clasped the unknowing man by the mouth. His sword came across his bared throat as he gurgled and thrashed for naught. He dropped the man into a doorway and curled him up so he was out of the way. No one would spot him unless they stepped in his disgusting pool of filth. The moonlight poured in from the windows. He heard a man rushing down the hall, most like he was going to join in the attempt to put out the fires. Pariah stepped into the doorway and waited, the footsteps were closer...Closer...Closer. Just before it was too late Pariah lashed out and caught the man by the head smashing him into the wall with a sickening thud as the person crumpled and fell to the floor. He stabbed him, once, twice and thrice. Clean downward stabs as they punched into the man's body. He left the sentry there and advanced down the hall.

 

The battles were bloodier than he had thought. He had not expected so many but what shocked him truly was that the fire spread more than Pariah had expected it to. Joer was shocked as the granary erupted in flames and set to fire other small places beside it. There would be nothing left. Guards were coming and Joer and his men attacked, fought in a bloody dance. The raiders were beginning to gather together, he wondered how Pariah was managing alone after the headcount...The crazed captain took no one with him. No matter, they will fight to the death till Pariah returned and if not...Then that was that. "Raiders…!" How quickly they went from pirates to raiders in that instant. The shout took up from the guards as if they were crows being scared off to take flight. Town folk were beginning to wake and stir, frightened most like the sound of a look out bell and a fire being lit to carry on a message. "You and you…!" Joer barked over the fight. "Get up there and take out that fire!" They had bobbed their heads and wove through the mesh of fighters.

 

Every time Joer dropped one he could have sworn another took the dead guard's place. The cobbled street was slippery and seemed muddy with blood and muck. One man walked about with his guts hanging over his belt before finally dropping. It was most like that these men hardly ever saw battle save with practice swords. Who would have expected there would be a true raid on the Gold Arbor? A horse rushing by trampled a guard and townsfolk were running, screaming and crying. Men took up any kind of weapon to fight. Rakes, pitch forks, knives and cudgels. Mothers and sisters dragged on their siblings and children in a protective hold. He had not noticed that the fight had taken them to the town square. He was beginning to feel regret bubble in his gut. This was useless; they did not have the men. How would they survive wave after wave of attacks? A quiver whizzed by his face, near cutting his flesh and taking one of his hands in the throat. "Archer!" He barked over the fighting. Each one of them had begun to crouch low, slashing at thighs and hamstringing guards, arrows whizzing over them and catching guards instead of his own men. The stench of the dead was beginning to reach his nose, it was a familiar smell.

 

Pariah was venturing the halls, how many he had killed he did not keep count. But now the wall sconces burned brightly as he ascended onto the third landing. "Get away!" Someone screamed at him in a shrill voice. It was a girl. She held a lantern in one hand and a knife in the other, a small crude one. A rueful smile found his face as he stepped closer. She was a comely young little girl, her hair was disheveled and she only wore her shift. Possibly a daughter he assumed. "Put down that little knife" He said and swung his sword lazily through the air at her. "GET AWAY!" She screamed at him and stepped back till her back was pressed into the wall. He was never fond of rape or hurting women but he knew that a good crack across her face would have set her right, instead. Something hit him across the face. Someone threw a lantern into his head as he stumbled back. Luckily it only grazed him. It was that damn girl! She was already rushing down the hall shouting for help. The oil from the lantern spread and went up in flames. He'd have a nasty headache. Enough of that, he ran down the hall after her. "Come back here!" He snarled after her. She slammed open two double doors as he ran in after her.

 

"Where the Hell is the captain…?" Someone shouted at Joer, one of the hands tossed a flaming lantern atop the straw roof of a small home. If they would die they will leave nothing here. Joer snarled and barked at his men to move back and defend them. They could not leave their captain behind but they could not push through to get to the manor. They could retreat and place the final battle on their ship. Yet risk it all? No. "FIGHT…!" Joer barked over it all and his men shouted back as they pressed forwards, they'll die before they ever leave Pariah behind.

 

He entered the room. Someone swung something at him but his quick wit forced him to duck underneath it. His head was nearly taken off by the sword. It was a guard. A fat man stood in the corner with his wife, the young woman sobbing into her shoulder. Pariah's hat fell to the floor and his kerchief stood tight about his head to keep the hair from his eyes. A skillful swordsman the sentry was as he stepped forwards and stabbed at Pariah. He was quick as a snake as he ducked his head and moved from left to right and oft times slapping away the sword and testing a slash at his wrist, but the man was rather quick Pariah would give him that, as he tucked his wrist in and avoided slash after slash. But Pariah was much more skilled. He stepped back and let his enemy attack on, allowing him to feel as if he had the upper hand. Then he danced away, parrying and blocking with his arm, slapping away each stab and slash. Ducking under and out of the way, testing the other man. Pariah reached behind him as he fought. The other pressed in more strength and it was obvious Pariah tested his anger. Suddenly a flash as a knife flicked out from behind Pariah and he tucked it deep into the man's throat and pulled it out just as quickly as it had gone in. The man gurgled and Pariah kicked him in the gut to double him over the floor. "What do you want?!" The fat man screamed at him. Pariah idly wiped his sword and knife against the doublet of the swordsman. Putting his knife away he picked up his hat and placed it on his head. The young girl pointed her knife at him. "Get away!" She blurted out between sobs "Or I'll gut you!" "Oh?" Pariah said while pacing about the room, it was a pretty room and such fine things there were. He ran his finger over the rim of a fine little kettle. "What do you want?! Tell me!" The man said and Pariah sighed. "I'm weary, lower your voice. That girl of yours does not know how to treat a guest" "G-Guest?" The man's jowls quivered. "She threw a lantern at my head" "That's right! And next time I'll stab you!" She said in a shrill high voice. "Is that right?" Pariah asked as he went to the window and looked out. He could see the bloody skirmish in the town square. The merchants ships way out were half sunken and burning and burning in their berths. The granary and near homesteads were up in flames and animals squealed and rushed down the streets in their panicky flight, townsfolk tried to leave it all behind so much all at once. "I want this" Pariah said in a calm and even voice. "You filthy, disgusting pirate!" The fat man screamed at him and Pariah could only smile and give him an sympathetic glance. "Oh? You figured that all on your own?" He returned his gaze to the outside. "The Arbor is already ours." "No! The King will send reinforcements! He will drive you vermin from this place" The fat man growled and went at him. Pariah did not want to do this. He brought his fist round and caught the man across the face so hard that there was a sound of a crack and the fat man collapsed to the floor, which would teach him. Pariah was surprised at the strength of his blow, his knuckles even ached. "Da…! Da…!" The girl cried out and went to the man's side. His nose was bleeding and his mouth was bloody, most like he loosened his teeth with that blow. "Elle…!" The woman went after her and threw her arms over the girl and her husband, taking the knife from her daughter's hand and pointing it at Pariah. "Look at what you have done" She hissed at him "You're killing innocent people...You struck my husband!" "He came at me…" Pariah murmured.

 

"Why are you doing this to us…?" The woman demanded as she stood and stepped closer to him while Pariah didn't move, he simply watched her. He did not wince away or flinch, he watched her eyes. A woman's anger was like a brewing storm. "Back down before you find yourself laying beside your husband in the same manner" Pariah fairly warned her. The man tried to speak out to her but only bubbled out blood and groaned in pain. The young girl was holding onto him. "I wasn't going to hurt any of you" He said with a look to the younger girl and her father, his eyes returned to the woman. "Now give me the knife" He demanded and slowly took out his hand. She was beginning to break and sob like her daughter as she put the knife in his hand and threw herself beside her husband to help him. "I will have my men look after him when this is over" He assured her. She looked up to him with eyes full of welling tears. He had seen this before...But why couldn't he face those eyes? He averted his and turned to the window. He slid the knife into his belt without a word and placed hands on his hips watching the battle as a King might overlook his realm.

 

Somehow they had done it. Thank the Heavens he muttered under his breath. Somehow they survived it all. They had killed all opposing guards and some had retreated and yielded, there was not much they could do for that. The square was now littered in bodies. Some men were still alive both his own men and the enemy. They groaned and cried out in pain. They did it...Somehow they did it. Joer smiled some as he shut his eyes but then he barked his orders. "Gather our men and see to them and then the others. You and you go and try to muffle out that fire." They were busy looked amongst themselves and cheering before looking at him. "Go now or I'll beat you all bloody!" He snarled at them and they went on to do what he told them to. After that he left another hand in charge and went on towards the manor.

 

Pariah turned to the door as it had been pushed open and there stood Joer drenched in blood and sweat and dirt. "We did it" He said almost dreamily and Pariah smiled. "Did you doubt me?" The mate shook his head and realized there lay a man breathing heavily with his daughter and wife tending to his wounded face. "Where are the servants' quarters?" Pariah asked the older woman who looked at him. "Down below past the kitchen and dining hall." Pariah returned his gaze to Joer "Gather them and have them help put out the fires. How many are injured?" Joer shook his head "Quite a few" "Dead?" "Three…" Pariah frowned "Bring them here along with the others who were injured in the fight, we'll treat them all." Joer nodded stiffly. "And" Pariah said with a glance to the younger girl and her mother. "No one lays a hand on these ladies and if they do..." He gave a warning look at Joer. "I'll kill them" Joer nodded again and left the room without a word. When Pariah judged he was out of earshot he turned to the three. "You have my protection." The older woman looked to him with stricken eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you for sparing us...Thank you" Dead you'd be worth nothing...He thought.

 

* * *

 

They had taken Gold Arbor in a few hours something that some would deem impossible due to the surrounding lands. Word had spread quickly of Captain Pariah, Joer and Patience. Of how the ship snuck into the harbor as if she was a shadow that the figure head lived and led them onto the beach in the darkness. Of how bright the flames that erupted on the merchant ships and in the Arbor burned. Of how greatly out numbered Joer and the crew were and yet prevailed against the odds. Of how Pariah led it all and single handedly took the manor. They spoke of the gentle heart he bore for Lady Evelyn and her daughter Elle. The fire at the granary had left little to nothing left in town. There were still some warehouses that had survived the fires but most homesteads near or around the stables and granary had taken the worst of it. They had stayed there for little over a week lest the King truly took action and word reached him. Pariah had left his captives there, wounded soldiers, servants, townsfolk and Torl, the noble man who overlooked things. Pariah had chosen to take Elle and Evelyn as ransom and allowed his crew to loot what they chose and take the bodies of their friends to give a proper funeral at sea. It was said that Patience left harbor at dawn and sailed towards home port and that there was when Pariah's true crusade begun.