Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 286 Ambush
When the fleet docked, the officers learned a shocking fact from Helgi: Sunshine Island had recently been attacked on a large scale and almost fell!
Navy Lieutenant Commander Hadawa wondered, "Why are the pirates plundering a newly developed island instead of raiding the Italian region? Why would they do something so unprofitable?"

Hergier sighed. "The sugar from the Canary Islands has taken over the market from Britain and Northern Europe, causing heavy losses to the sugar industry in Iberia. Some merchants and plantation owners have hired pirates to eliminate their competitors in this way."

Moreover, some maritime merchants were very interested in the new sailing ships and offered hefty rewards to encourage pirates to capture our vessels.

He then invited several officers to the castle hall and showed them a map with simple strokes.

“Look closely, these are the seven islands of the Canary Islands. According to the prisoners’ confessions, the pirates built a base on one of the islands in the northeast, and reinforcements are coming later.”

Hadawat observed the island, named "Shark Island," then turned his gaze to Morocco across the sea. Helgi, sensing his concern, preemptively explained:
"The Idris dynasty was in a period of royal transition, with a host of internal affairs to attend to, and it was impossible for them to get involved in this commercial dispute caused by sugar."

Even so, Hadawa remained vigilant; his mission this time was escorting ships, not clearing out an island teeming with enemies.

After a moment's thought, he decided to lead his warships to investigate, and then return to Landineum with the news for the king to decide.

At this point, Baron Garros, sitting across the long table, made a bold suggestion:

"How about this, let me lead a merchant ship to scout ahead. Perhaps we can lure the enemy into a pre-arranged battlefield and cripple the pirate fleet in one fell swoop."

The officers whispered among themselves, worried that the suggestion was too idealistic and that the pirates might not fall for it. However, Hergi firmly supported his subordinate, saying, "Lieutenant Colonel, pirates don't think like normal people. Their minds are filled with nothing but plunder. If they could control their desires, would they have ended up like this?"

Driven by a desire for military merit, the navy agreed to the operation. They repeatedly inquired about the situation in the Canary Islands and eventually devised a detailed ambush plan.

On June 18th, at dawn, Garros maneuvered a merchant ship named "One-Legged Gull" northeastward. That afternoon, the lookout high on the mast issued a warning:

"Many Moorish pirate ships are anchored in the bay ahead, and there are many makeshift houses on the shore, enough to house at least two thousand people! Turn around quickly, someone has noticed us!"

Garros turned the helm, maneuvering the massive, cumbersome merchant ship into an arc on the sea. Soon enough, more than five pirate ships followed behind, and their numbers were still increasing.

Noticing that the distance between them was constantly decreasing, the crew of the One-Legged Seagull carried some heavy wooden barrels out of the hold and pushed them into the sea one by one.

Time passed slowly, and the sun gradually sank in the west, dyeing the sky and sea a deep golden-red. The pirates' sails were still clearly visible in the twilight, showing no sign of giving up.

Soon, darkness enveloped the sea. The life-or-death chase was not over; the pirate ship continued its pursuit. The crew of the One-Legged Gull were exhausted, but listening to the faint sound of waves crashing against the enemy ship behind them, they dared not relax their vigilance for a moment.

And so the chase continued from afternoon until dusk, and then through the entire silent night.

Until the next morning, when the eastern horizon was tinged with a grayish-white light and the first rays of dawn appeared, the dark silhouettes of those Moorish pirate ships still stubbornly remained where the sea and sky met.

"Tsk tsk, these people are really persistent."

Garros handed the helm to the first mate, who then reviewed the previous night's watch log and, referring to the speed and direction measured every half hour, plotted the One-Legged Gull's course and current position on the nautical chart.

After a quick breakfast, he regained control of the helm and steered the boat south. Two hours later, a lush, rugged island came into view.

This is the westernmost island in the Canary Islands. Pirates had visited this place before and found no Viking settlements, concluding that the merchant ship was trying to use the island's terrain to hide. Subsequently, the twelve pirate ships split into two groups: seven maintained their course and pursued along the west coast, while the remaining five circled around to the east side of the island to block the target's path.

At noon, as the merchant ship rounded the steep cliffs at the westernmost tip of the island and passed through a secluded bay, the pirates paid no heed and continued their pursuit at full speed.

After some time, four two-masted sailing ships sailed out of the bay one after another, blocking the retreat route on the north side. The pirates finally realized that danger was imminent.

"There's an ambush!"

Before long, three more warships flying black dragon flags appeared ahead, heading towards the Moorish pirates with murderous intent.

At this moment, behind the pirate ship (to the north) are four two-masted sailing ships, in front (to the south) are three warships and the One-Legged Seagull, to the east is a deserted island, and the only way to survive is to the west.

Urged on by the pirate captain, the sailors adjusted their sails, trying to escape westward as quickly as possible, but it was too late.

The One-Legged Gull charged toward the nearest enemy ship. The closer they got, the denser the enemy's arrows became. Baron Garros roared, "Charge! The British sailors will never back down!"

In fact, Garros grew up in Iberia and only spent a few months in Britain. But he couldn't help it; the King and the Earl had given him so much, and he genuinely considered himself a Briton. As for the Moorish rulers of the later Umayyad dynasty, the Baron was not familiar with them.

On the other side, Hadawah maneuvered his flagship, the Red Falcon, towards the westernmost triangular sailing ship.

"Crush their boats!"

Warships differ from merchant ships in design, featuring more complex sails and cables that effectively enhance speed and maneuverability. Thanks to the navy's excellent training, the Red Falcon caught up with a pirate ship attempting to escape, its bow ramming violently into the pirate ship's side, instantly tearing a large hole in it.

Taking advantage of their superior position, the Vikings fired crossbow bolts and threw lime pots, quickly clearing the remaining enemy from the deck.

A small group of brave sailors jumped onto the enemy ship's deck, cut the ropes attached to the mast, and let the entire white triangular sail hang down on the deck.

With its sails damaged, the pirate ship lost any chance of escape and became a harmless floating object. The Viking sailors had no time to deal with the remaining enemies in the hold and returned to the Red Falcon to prepare to attack their next target.

At 2 p.m., the battle came to an end. One pirate ship that tried to escape was burned by oil canisters, and the remaining six pirate ships were all captured.

Hadawa arranged for men to escort the captured ships to the bay for safekeeping, while he led five ships, including the Red Falcon, southward.

At 3 p.m., the Red Falcon encountered five pirate ships tasked with flanking it at the southern tip of the island. It captured three of them, while the remaining two fled desperately but unfortunately ran aground and sank.

"These pirates are really weak; I overestimated them."

Hadawat sighed as he observed the captured ships anchored at sea.

(End of this chapter)