23. Raid

23. Raid

"Cover your ears."

Hakan fumbled for the putty in his pocket, watching the intruders, calculating his approach. Ramorran began to sing to drive away the raiders or warn his people, either or both. Hakan drew his dagger from his waistband, giving a hollering cry as he jumped back into the water to face the last figures swimming through the narrow channel to reach the cavern.

Two at the end had barely surfaced before Hakan struck. A slicing blow split the arm of the first, catching the man unawares. He gave a cry, clutching his arm, which gave the woman behind him enough warning to free her own blade. She dove for dry land, Hakan floundering after. They met where the water reached their knees, Hakan lunging to drag her down. She twisted, lashing out with her knife and he lurched aside to avoid the blow.

Pulse racing, Hakan fought in earnest. She was skilled, and he was disorientated with his hearing muted, but she'd been taken by surprise to find immediate resistance. He didn't intend to lose that advantage.

"Ha!" He parried a high blow, blades clashing. The woman was forced back, pebbles slipping under her feet. Hakan went to press his advantage just as her companion recovered enough to join the fight. Hakan caught the flash of metal as a dagger swept towards him. Twisting, he leaned out of its way. He sensed as much as saw the woman trying to take advantage of her friend's presence to get onto dry ground. Gritting his teeth, he delivered a savage blow to his opponent, nearly removing his hand. He felt as much as heard the scream as the man dropped his dagger and cradled his ruined hand to his chest, blood flowing from the wound.

Hakan ignored him, slicing his weapon in a wide arc at the woman wading towards the beach, driving her back into the water. Her lips curved in a snarl. Their blades collided half a dozen times. She glanced at her friend, who was staggering as though drunk while blood soaked his clothes. There'd be no help from that quarter.

She surged into action, delivering a flurry of blows that drove Hakan back a step despite his best intentions. Water surged around his thighs, trying to unbalance him. He kept his feet with difficulty.

But she used her advantage only to grab her friend's sleeve and tug him back into the water. Hakan took a second step aside, blade outheld with his other hand palm-up in a gesture of peace – or at least pause. He'd no appetite for killing, and if they chose to see their mistake and flee he'd let them go.

As the pair dived under the surface of the water, he turned to the beach.

It was oddly silent chaos.

Ramorran was singing, Hakan felt the vibrations from his song causing goosebumps even though he couldn't hear the notes. The raiders appeared similarly unaffected. Understanding jolted through Hakan – this wasn't a random raid. The men and women who'd targeted the tribe knew exactly what they were facing, and how to combat the selkies' defences.

The centre of the cavern was a scene from hell, illuminated by firelight that seemed to be dancing the entire length of the beach. Some of Ramorran's people were singing, but most were using their breath to fight back with anything that came to hand.

Since they faced armed men and women, most of them were outclassed. Two pairs of raiders were tugging two struggling selkies into the water, more of their companions bringing up the rear, holding back the tribespeople on the point of their blades. A particularly piercing scream reached Hakan even through his blocked ears.

He touched Ramorran's arm, then gestured to his ears. "They've plugged their ears," he said, gesturing to his own ears, hoping Ramorran would read his lips if he couldn't hear the words. That's why the raiders were unaffected by the selkies' songs. And how would they know to do that? How did they know what could be found here? They clearly intended to kidnap people, not steal property. Someone had learned the secret, and now they were using it to their advantage.

He gestured his intention to Ramorran and stepped into the raiders' path, up to his thighs in water, blocking their escape. The tribe might be helpless without their songs, but that wasn't true for Hakan. The raiders hadn't noticed him, their attention on the struggling captives and those trying to save them.

Ramorran picked up a stone, assessed the distance and hurled it with all his might. One of the raiders dropped to the ground while his friend looked around in confusion. It was the break the tribe had been waiting for. They surged forward, downing the second man before he could free his blade. They closed around the rearmost pair and their captive, fighting to free the selkie.

The raiders closest to Hakan redoubled their efforts, dragging their young captive into deeper water. One let go the girl's arm and grabbed her legs so she was suspended between them, wriggling like a fish on a line. The raiders half-ran towards what they thought was freedom, water pluming around them. They stopped short paces away from Hakan – and the blade levelled at them.

Hakan prepared to strike. If these invaders had learned the secret of Ramorran's people they'd return, time and time over. Unless they were stopped. Then one of the raiders caught his eye and smiled, gesturing in relief.

Shocked, Hakan recognised the young man. Esrell. Understanding dawned. Esrell had betrayed them to Sixblades. He must have learned Ramorran's secret from the crazy pirate – and perhaps had even followed them from Sixblades' island to here. His stomach lurched at the idea that he'd unwittingly guided destruction to Ramorran's tribe. He hated them for what they'd done to Ramorran, but for Ramorran's sake he wanted them safe, and they never would be if their secret became widely known.

Esrell was gesturing enthusiastically once more, saying something to him. He caught "Share" off the youth's lips. Heat rose in him, boiling with anger. Esrell thought he was here for the same purpose? That Hakan only wanted to share the bounty? He pushed away the thought that a month ago he'd have willingly fallen in with such a plan.

The selkie Esrell held was still fighting. A glance at her face showed the girl was sobbing desperately.

Hakan shook his head, gesturing with his dagger to let the selkie go. For Osman's sake he'd let Esrell flee. He and Osman between them would have to terrorise the young man into keeping the secret he'd discovered.

Esrell frowned, gripping his captive tighter. He mouthed something, but Hakan couldn't make it out.

By then, the tribespeople had dealt with four of the raiders and turned to the last. Esrell's friend went down in a sea of bodies. Seeing his plan unravelling, Esrell dropped the girl's legs and ran towards Hakan. He stiffened, stumbling, reaching out, almost falling against Hakan.

Alarm surged through Hakan as he remembered Ramorran's warnings. If the tribe reached him, they'd kill him, too. With a split-second decision he grabbed Esrell's hand and tugged him deeper into the water. A stone struck his shoulder. Probably something thrown by one of the selkies had caused Esrell's stumble. Ramorran called out and dived into the water beside him. One of the lumps of putty fell out of Hakan's ear and the sound of screams and savage cries rose.

"Go, go, go," Ramorran chanted.

"Take a deep breath," Hakan commanded Esrell. He didn't wait for a reply, taking a deep breath of his own and plunging them both underwater. Esrell clung to his arm. The young man didn't struggle, exactly, but he was no help to Hakan either. He couldn't see a thing, reaching blindly with his free hand. He was grateful when someone grabbed his hand and squeezed. Ramorran.

He let Ramorran guide them and a moment later they popped up in the outer cove, their gasps loud in the sudden silence.

"We have to go," Ramorran said, tugging him towards the edge and the steps that led out of the water. "They'll follow. They'll want to make sure they're safe."

Hakan nodded agreement. Esrell was little better than a deadweight. He turned, finding the boy glassy-eyed, his breath coming in shallow pants, movements uncoordinated. "Come on," he urged. Between them, he and Ramorran got him out of the water. But he was afraid Esrell would just fall straight back in if he let him go.

"Are you all right?" He put an arm around Esrell's waist, mostly holding him up.

Esrell grunted. He lifted a hand to the back of his head, then examined his hand. Hakan saw the gleam of wet on his fingers, which was to be expected, but then the scent of iron rose in the air. Blood, not water. "Damnation," Esrell muttered.

"Are you all right?" It was a foolish question. He'd clearly been hurt. But they couldn't stop and bandage him yet. "Can you walk?"

Esrell nodded, his gaze unfocused. "I just…" He turned, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "The sultan would have paid me a fortune for a pet mermaid," he muttered.

Hakan shook his head slowly. Not Sultan Talal. And King Asad had better uses for his money. Perhaps Queen Cassanea of Parteq would have been an eager buyer, but Esrell was never going to find that out now.

Ramorran stepped forward, grabbing Esrell's shirt, hand twisted in the fabric to hold him up. Esrell peered curiously into the selkie's face.

"If we let you go, you must never come back. And never tell anyone who's here."

"You won't hurt me."

Hakan wasn't sure whether Esrell intended a question, a plea or a statement.

Ramorran showed his teeth. "I'm not like the rest of my people. If they catch you, they'll kill you."

The young man nodded, "I'll go." He gestured towards the waves. "I'll sail right away from this place." He tried to step forward and wobbled. Hakan grabbed an arm to stop him falling.

"I'm good, I'm good." Esrell straightened with a visible effort. He patted Hakan's shoulder and took a steadier step.

"Don't come back!" Hakan called.

Esrell paused, touched the back of his head again, nodded stiffly and hurried on, through the cove and out to where the moonlight glinted on the waves, clambering over perilous rocks towards the boat waiting for him.

Ramorran squeezed his shoulder. "We have to go, too," he murmured. "They'll kill us if they find us here."

"Agreed." Hakan wondered in all the chaos whether he and Ramorran had been spotted.

"They won't leave anything to chance," Ramorran said. His jaw tensed. "We need to get out of their reach. For your sake as well as mine."

Hakan nodded. He held out his hand, relieved beyond measure when Ramorran's fingers linked with his. As one they turned and hurried towards the sea, their footsteps drowned by the noise of the waves.