Chapter 133: River Battle (Part 4)

With an audible twang, the forward momentum of the Darvellian ship-now fastened to the riverbank by a living anchor-was yanked suddenly and violently sideways. Twenty or more soldiers waiting their turn to board were thrown by the change of momentum and toppled into the water. The oarsmen in the guts of the ship, still none the wiser, kept rowing, propelling the vessel along its presumed course. The bulk continued forward, but with the prow tethered, the ship only pivoted on its axis. It swung sideways in the river.

The crossbow quarrels stopped falling as panic began to spread among the Darvellians' ranks. The waters of the narrow, swiftly moving river-previously cutting to either side of the sleek prow-now hit solidly against the broad side of the exposed hull. The water had nowhere to go but up. And in. The river entered the open ports of the rowlocks. Oars went limp as the oarsmen inside were flooded.