The Archer's Marines: The First Marines - Medieval fiction action story about Marines, naval warfare, and knights after King Richard's crusade in Syria, ... times (The Company of Archers Book 5) by Martin Archer

and escort our wounded and heat stricken men to the dock and get them loaded.  And watch out for the Moors who are starting to gather on the beach where the Moors had their galleys.  They’re probably curiosity seekers but don’t take any chances; shoot at anyone who gets in range.” 
           They don’t look organized; probably just lookers who are curious about what happened.  But you never know do you?
           Once again I nip up the stairs to have a look from the ramparts on top of the gate house.  I need to make sure Peter got the word to withdraw.  We won’t leave here until I can see his main force on its way to the dock.  He should be getting the word about now if my messenger got through. 
           The sergeants who were up on the wall will know if he did.  And even if he didn’t, Peter will see Guy’s men moving down to the dock and know that it means we’re pulling out.
           “Where are the sergeants who were up on the wall?”
    @@@@@
           Our men are on the dock and boarding their galleys.  The first thing every man is going to do when he gets on board, including me, is head straight for the water barrels.  Before I climb on board I can see a number of men are stretched out on the deck being tended to by their mates and Helen.  They are being given bowls of drinking water and ale under the shade of some hastily rigged sails.
           A distressed and harried looking Helen sees me on the dock and comes hurrying over to the deck railing.  She hands me a water skin as I climb on board and I give her a brief hug - then I climb the galley mast to the lookout’s nest to see what I can see.     
           A group of fifty or sixty of Peter’s men are still walking together back to the dock but a large number have already arrived are actively boarding their galleys.  The walkers must be his rear guard.  There is a mob of Moors following along behind them but they are certainly keeping their distance and appear to be more of a disorganized mob of curious men and children rather than a threat. 
           The city gate Peter occupied looks to be closed again so most of the people following Peter must be from the caravanserais and tents next to river up by the livestock market. 
           Hmm. I wonder who closed the city gate and why?  I’ll have to ask Peter when I see him.  Probably a case of closing the barn door after the oxen are out.
    @@@@@
           “Hoist the ‘follow me’ flag and make for the harbor” I order Jeffrey in a voice loud enough for his rudder man and drummer to hear. 
           “Then hail the other two galleys and tell them to follow us.  Tell them we’re going to go through the harbor and check the ships that are still there to make sure all of our people have gotten clear.” 
           I particularly want to check on the galley that looked as if it was sinking.  I think it was one of ours.  I wonder what happened.  And, of course, I once again want our sergeants and men to know that we are determined not to leave anyone behind.
          A minute or so later the rowing drum begins slowly beating its monotonous cadence and we pull away from the dock.   Helen is next to me holding out a mug of ships’ water into which she has squeezed a lemon she had found in the Lisbon market.  It’s something she learned from her mother; she says it’s even more cooling than ale.
           We are immediately among the handful of ships still in the harbor.  Several of them are clearly still in the hands of the Moors - but not many and most of those that were here when we arrived are gone.
           “Stay clear” comes the cry from the mast.  “This one’s got men on the deck wearing turbans.  They’re armed.”
           I don’t know what made me think of it but an idea popped into my mind from what the Saracens did at Edmund’s castle years ago.
           “Helen, please