"They can handle themselves in a brawl," said the captain, "but they'll be sorely outmatched by those pirates."

"Then we'll have to stop them before they can grapple us," suggested Natalia.

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Runell. "They're faster than us by a significant degree."

Natalia smiled, "I have a few ideas, but they'll have to come within my casting range to carry them out."

"I don't know what your casting range is," offered the captain, "but they'll likely have bows."

The Water Mage's face fell slightly at the news. "That's bad," she remarked, "I can't cast if they're shooting at me."

"I'll just have to keep them distracted for you," said Athgar. "I'm pretty sure they'll ignore you if I'm lobbing fire at them."

"Yes," agreed the captain, "fire is the biggest fear of any sailor."

The afternoon stretched on, the two pirate galleys approaching unhurriedly as if the entire battle would unfold in slow motion. As evening began to fall, they could finally make out the man working the ballista, readying the weapon for use by loading up a giant grappling hook, a thin rope coiled on the deck attached to its head. Even as they watched, he completed his task, then swivelled the weapon, aiming it at the Swift.

"He won't fire yet," offered Runell, "they're still out of range, but their archers are starting to take up positions."

The Swift was set to meet the enemy head-on. Athgar stood on the foredeck, watching their approach. "Time to get their attention, I should say," he offered. He reached deep inside, bringing forth his inner flame. As he gesticulated, a streak of fire raced across the gap, falling just short of the enemy galley, striking the surface of the water to cause a jet of steam to erupt, quickly dissipating into the air.

In answer, the enemy vessels changed course slightly, the archers rushing to the bow.

"Any moment now," said Runell.

Natalia, standing to the right of Athgar, began her spell. The air crackled, and then a sudden chill surrounded her as she unleashed her power, a faint blue light racing across the distance, hitting the water directly in front of the lead galley.

The pirate crew jeered at the apparent miss, but where the light had impacted, ice began to form, starting as a thin layer of frost and then expanding to thicken and harden, growing more opaque as it widened. Soon, there was a man-sized chunk of ice, the majority of it below the surface, but it kept spreading, gradually expanding till it was easily twice as large as the galley.

Athgar was reminded of the ice that had saved him near the Teeth, but this time she had concentrated in one area, directly in front of the first vessel.