Camilla let out a particularly vile curse in Tilean. By Ranald's teeth this was bad. If these really were Sigmarites then they should be on their way, preferably far away before they realized that some of their retainers had been murdered. Sigmar was no Tilean diety but she had heard plenty of him and his Witch Hunters since she came to the Empire. But why would Priests of Sigmar block the river, why use pirates like this? If the problem was big enough they could just bring in the army couldn't they. 

What if the people down there really were corrupt. Worshipers of the Dark Ones? They had to do something.

"Find somewhere to hide, You'll have to meet us on the other side of the Island," she said to Cydric and then she was off racing down the embankment towards the boats the waved her hand frantically at Gilbrecht. The sailor was already backing the boat out with a long pole, she was pretty sure it was only the looming form of Petrovich that stopped him from rowing for all he was worth out onto the Talabec. Reaching the barge dragged up on the beech she vaulted over its low gunwale and onto the deck with an easy grace. Landing on a mass of rope she lost her footing and stumbled but caught herself on one of the ports for oars. Glancing around she found what she needed and seized a shuttered lantern from a hook. 

With a muttered prayer to Ranald she hurled the lantern into the pile of rope with a glassy crash. The smell of lantern oil immediately overwhelmed the slightly fishy aroma of the barge as it soaked the rope. Drawing out her pistol she layed it flat against the oily rope and pulled the trigger. This time the priming caught and the gun went of with a boom that seemed deafening in the still night air. The flash out of the priming pan set the oil on fire with a wooosh and Camilla only barely avoided burning her hand as she jumped back. The fire spread with improbably speed, the decks must have been sealed with tar and polished with linseed oil as within moment hungry flames were climbing boards.

Camilla leapt from the barge onto the rocky shore and scrambled ungracefully across the beach to their own boat already a good ten feet out onto the water. She splashed into the Talabec shouting "FIRE! FIRE!" at the top of her lungs as she splashed into the water. She probably need not have bothered, there was no chance that the assembled crowd hadn't heard the pistol shot. She was perhaps three feet from the boat, she could see Skaldi holding a squirming Gilbrect with one arm, and fighting the current with the pole with the other, when the ground abruptly vanished from beneath her. Her mouth was still open to shout when she plunged beneath the surface of the river and she consequently took a great mouthful of river water. 

Panic seized her and she began to thrash but then something grabbed her by the back of the neck and yanked her with force of a crossbow discharging. Ivan Petrovich deposited her on the deck of their own boat with the ease of dropping a sack of grain. Water burned at her throat as she coughed and spluttered. Gilbrect was shouting something but she couldn't focus for a moment.

[b]"You need to watchs your feet Little Dove,"[/b] he rumbled in amusement.

[b]"Crazy Bitch what in Sigmar name are you doing?"[/b] Gilbrecht shriek. His eyes were very wide, she could see white all around them. Behind them on the beach the barge was burning with enthusiasm. Skaldi gave the youth an idle shake, as though perplexed at his apparent cowardice.

[b]"You should have thrown some flames to the others Little Dove,"[/b] Ivan went on, ignoring the sailor, "be harder to chase us if all boats are on fire da?"

[b]"Would you stop calling me Little Dove,"[/b] she protested weakly. Ivan shrugged, his face splitting into a grin. He made a gesture at her soaking clothes and the puddle of water around her. Maybe next time she set a ship on fire while running from a group of maybe religious fanatics she would remember to burn all the boats.

[b]"Maybe I could go for Little Duck?"[/b] he asked innocently. Camilla managed a weak laugh as she pushed herself to her feet. She thought she could see angry figures cresting the ridge and she hoped that Cydric would be able to avoid them. There hadn't been any time to discuss things.

[b]"Row," [/b]she called out, "we need to get around the Island before they figure out whats going on, Cydric needed a distraction." She thought Gilbrecht's eyes might bulge out of their sockets. It was perversely comforting to see someone more terrified then she was.