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The sun was before him and still almost a hand’s breadth from the horizon. Captain Hereric paced the quarter deck, unable to stand, still just as it was likewise impossible to keep him below. The wind had dropped around noon, an agonizing factor that he hated. The sails were trimmed accordingly, but even so, their speed had dropped dramatically.
Trips up to the masthead had been frequent all afternoon, and each time he hoped to be able to catch sight of Pelargir and her captured bay. But every time he had been disappointed. He had known that they wouldn’t be in sight until later, but hope always bears up at times like these.
The entire ship’s crew felt the excitement growing. Their captain’s pacing the minutes away caused their eyes to look forward at least as often as his, and their blood to pump with the anticipation of up coming battle. Swords were drawn and sharpened. Arrows checked for straightness and keen tips. Bow strings changed. And still there was extra time.
The minutes of pacing turned into an hour. The sun continued slowly on her path towards the horizon. “Deck!” hailed the watchmen. Hereric sprang towards the rail and looked up.
“What is it?” he called.
“Pelargir in sight! Can’t see the ships yet in the bay. . .”
“Very good,” the Captain said to himself, turning back towards the stern. “Very good.” A movement on his right caused him to turn again. King Telumehtar stepped up onto the deck, the counselor behind him. Hereric approached them. “Good afternoon, my lord,” he said. “The watchman has just spotted Pelargir. In a few minutes, I’ll warrant we’ll be hearing the number of ships that lie in her bay, and in about an hour, we shall be there.”
A faint smile came to the kings face as he paced to the edge of the deck and looked out over the ship and at the water stretched before them. “Good! Good,” he said. “In an hour, then, we shall begin to punish these Umbarian pirates for years of unchecked murder in our waters.”
The captain stood behind him, and at his words, his eyes glowed. An old thought and remembrance came back to him, and he felt a sudden and abrupt stirring in his chest. He had fought the Corsair’s before, but never behind the king, and never with the knowledge that this would be the greatest battle between Gondor and Umbar ever to be fought. The time to pay them back for his father’s death was coming quickly to hand, and soon. . .very soon, he’d be able to say that that goal was fulfilled.
“Captain.” Hereric shut his eyes and braced himself mentally as he turned towards Counselor Menelcar. “I note that our speed has slackened since this morning.”
“So has the wind, sir,” Hereric answered calmly, but in such an expression of voice that he knew, had one of his crew spoken to him thus, would have brought certain trouble onto his head. “Around noon, as a matter of fact. I marvel that you did not mark our lack of speed earlier.”
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