“We should be on our way before they figure out we’re still here. I think we’ve had enough training. It’s time we took this fight to them.”
Yerlow looked over at Chihon. “Must you go? You know how much I love having a little sister around to talk to.”
Lorit spoke before Chihon had the chance to open her mouth. “I’ve located a suitable ship to carry us to Nebrook. I hear it’s being prepared already and should be back in the water by the end of the month. We can book passage on her without much trouble.
“Once we reach Nebrook, we can make our way across the Plains of Grass and on to Veldwaite. From there, we should be able to book passage to Quineshua.”
The rutting boar was a dilapidated inn two blocks from the wharf. The inn was crowded for the noon meal. Wharf workers and seafarers jostled for tables or a seat at the sagging bar. Lorit looked around until his eye settled on a large man with shoulder length black hair and two fingers missing on his left hand. He pushed his way through the crowd to the table in the back corner and leaned in, trying to make himself heard over the din.
“Are you Captain Bukelach?” he shouted.
“That I am,” replied the man. “And what can a poor old captain do for the likes of you?”
Lorit seated himself at the table across from the captain. “I am looking to book passage to Nebrook. I understand your ship is ready to depart tomorrow.”
“That it is,” said the captain. “Just yourself then?”
Lorit raised two fingers at the serving girl after catching her eye, and then pointed to the Captain’s almost empty flagon. “There will be two of us,” he said.
“You’re not scared of the winter storms, then?” the captain asked with a smile.
“I’m confident in your ability. If there were something to be concerned with, I hardly think you’d be risking your ship and crew.”
The serving girl returned with their drinks and set them on the table. “One silver,” she said, holding out her hand. She waited as Lorit fetched the coin from his pocket and placed it in her hand. She turned back to the kitchen. The thick braid of her hair snapped around as she left.
“Do you have the room?” Lorit asked.
The Captain was watching the girl depart and seemed not to hear. Lorit repeated himself to no avail until the serving girl disappeared into the kitchen. “What was that you were saying?” the Captain asked, his attention returning to Lorit.
“I was inquiring if you had the space for the two of us to sail with you to Nebrook.”
The Captain took a deep drink from his fresh flagon and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He emitted a satisfied belch and slammed the flagon back on the table. “Four golds each and you help with whatever we need you to help with,” he said. “The both of you.”
“What kind of work do you have in mind?” Lorit asked.
“Help with the rigging, scrub the deck when she gets dirty, haul supplies up from the hold to the galley, and help with the sails, that sort of work, nothing that you won’t be able to handle. You look like a strong young lad.”
“I can surely handle that,” Lorit said, “but my traveling companion is a young lady. I don’t think she’ll be able to assist much in those tasks.” He took a sip and carefully replaced the flagon on the table.
“Does she cook?” the Captain asked.
“She can cook,” Lorit said. Chihon had learned several recipes from Yerlow and enjoyed preparing them. She called it ‘citified’ cooking, and was becoming quite proficient at it.
“Fine, then,” the Captain said. “Pay the purser when you get aboard.”
“What time will you be ready to sail?”
The Captain looked at him with a look of disgust. “You know nothing of the sea. Do you, lad?” he asked. “Ships on the ocean leave with the turning of the tide. The Freshen Sea has no tide, so we leave as soon as the morning breeze starts. That usually happens just about two hours after sunrise on most days. Be there by sunrise, so you can get your gear stowed before we raise anchor.”
Lorit stood to leave, but the Captain held up his hand. The missing fingers were prominent. “Hold on, lad, there are a few more things you need to know before you go.” He motioned to the seat. “Sit yerself down and listen fer a bit.”
Lorit sat back down and took a drink of his ale.
The Captain held up his left hand, demonstrating the missing fingers. His glove had been altered to accommodate his handicap. He shook his hand in front of Lorit.
“When I was just a young man, like you, I signed on to a ship to learn the ways of the sea. I wanted to travel and see the world. I wasn’t much older than you are today. I thought it would be a great life, I did.
“I thought I didn’t have to listen to the Captain. Treated him like me Pa, I did. The Captain took another giant swig of Ale and continued. “One day I popped off to the Captain. I figured he’d swat me good like me Pa used to do, and that would be that.
“We were on a ship in the sea proper, not this fresh water lake, but the mighty ocean. We were just out of the port of Kirdon up in Quilst,” he said, “when I decided to act the fool.”
Bukelach leaned over to Lorit, holding up his hand once again. “Know what he did?”
“No,” Lorit replied. The Captain stank of sour Ale and sweat. “What did he do?”
“He threw me overboard, he did. Picked me up by the scruff of the neck and the seat of me pants, and threw me right over the rail. Lucky for me, we were close to land, and I know how to swim. Many sailors would not be so fortunate.
“Only unlucky for me, before I could get to the shore, a shark came after me. It first swam past and just sort of rubbed against me. It must have decided I was a tasty snack, because it came back with a mouth full of teeth like you never saw,” he continued.
“But you survived,” Lorit said.
“I survived, but not before it took my fingers. It came back a second time and tried to take my leg, but must’ve decided I was more than a snack. It left me bleedin’ all the way to shore.”
He took another drink and drained the flagon before continuing. “Some kindly folk found me and bandaged me up. I survived, and went back aboard ship as soon as I was able.”
“That is most fortunate,” Lorit said.
The Captain looked over at Lorit’s ale. He’d only taken a few swallows. He raised one eyebrow at Lorit. Lorit slid the flagon over in front of the Captain. “Here,” he said. “Story telling is thirsty work.”
“You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this,” he said.
Lorit looked back at the Captain, waiting for him to continue.
“I’m the Captain now, lad, and I take the same attitude. On my ship, I’m the only one in charge. My word is law. You’ll respect and obey me or face the consequences. I don’t take lightly to any lip or backtalk. There are no sharks in the Freshen, but over the side you’ll go if I have any problem with you at all.”
“I’ll remember that,” Lorit said. This time, when he rose, the Captain just nodded to him.
“If you’re still going, we’ll see you in the morning. You and your lady friend,” the Captain said.
Gareb and Yerlow were up before dawn with Lorit and Chihon. Yerlow placed a plate of bread and cheese in front of each of them, taking her own seat. Lorit was anxious to get going. The sooner they started, the sooner he would have his revenge.
“I’ve packed your travel bag with a few things to tide you over. You should be good for at least two weeks before you need to forage, or buy food,” she said. Yerlow turned to Chihon and said, “I understand that, as part of your passage, you’ll be assisting the cook.”
“Yes. Lorit arranged it for me.”
“I’m sure the crew will be glad of a woman’s touch in the galley,” she reassured her. “At least you won’t have to break into your travel stock before you reach land.”
“How long do they expect the trip to take?” Gareb asked. He seated himself and poured a steaming mug of dark tea.
“It should take just over a week,” Lorit said. “This early in the season, they’re worried about running into ice floes, so they take it slow.”
“For your sakes, I hope they don’t run into any trouble,” Yerlow said. “A week cramped up on a ship like that with a bunch of unwashed sailors isn’t something I’d look forward to.”
“It’s no worse than the farm or the slaughterhouse,” Lorit said, “you get used to the smell and, after a while, you don’t even notice it.” He picked up his empty plate and headed for the kitchen. He’d grown accustomed to helping out in the kitchen, something his mother had never been able to instill in him. He felt as if he were an imposition on Yerlow if he didn’t help out.
Yerlow stopped him, taking the plate out of his hand. “I’ll take care of that once you’re gone,” she said. “You two get ready and get going. It’s a long walk to the wharf in the dark.”
“I guess we’d better get going,” Chihon said as she stood, shouldering her pack. She hugged Yerlow tightly for a moment, and then held her by the shoulders. “You’ve been so gracious to us,” she said. “You’ve been like a sister to me.” She kissed Yerlow on the cheek and turned to Gareb.
“You’ve also been so kind, and such a great teacher,” she told him. “I will not forget your lessons.”
“You’re a great student,” he said. “Please remember me fondly when you become one of the mighty ones.”
Gareb came over, grasped Lorit’s hand, and shook it firmly. “Lorit,” he said. “I’ve never met a wizard quite like you.” He hugged Lorit and patted his shoulder. “Take care of Chihon, and give those priests what they deserve. If you can’t do it, then I don’t know who can.”
Yerlow reached up to Lorit and grasped his chin in her calloused hand. She directed his gaze toward her eyes. “You take care of this young lady, or I’ll come after you myself. You let them hurt her and you’ll have me to deal with. Wizard or not, I have a few tricks that will work on you, young man.”
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, turned him toward the door, and gave him a shove. “On with you, then,” she said.
The wharf was bustling when they arrived, just after sunrise. The air was so cold that Lorit could see the breath steaming from the people rushing about their business. Lorit spotted an old man sitting at a table near the wharf entrance.
“Do you know where we can find the Silver Sun?” Lorit asked him. He had one eye covered with a patch and a scar that ran from his cheek ending in a large welt on his forehead.
“She’s the ship on the second pier to the left once you get to the water,” he said. He looked up at Lorit examining him for a moment and then cast his eye on Chihon.
“Are you taking passage on the Silver Sun?” he asked, “Both of you?” He kept his gaze focused on Chihon even as he spoke to Lorit.
“Yes, we are. Is she a good ship?”
The old man slowly transferred his gaze to Lorit examining him with his good eye. “She’s a good ship, that she is.”
“You look somewhat skeptical about that,” Lorit said in response to the man’s hesitant answer.
“She’s a good ship, as I said,” he answered. “Have you met the Captain, then?”
“Yes, I’ve met Captain Bukelach,” Lorit answered, “He’s the one who arranged our passage.”
“You should be just fine, then,” the old man commented
.
He reached over to a battered brass cup sitting at the edge of the table. He stretched out a finger and gave it a slight shove towards Lorit.
Lorit looked into the cup. There were a few coppers sitting at the bottom. The old man looked up at him plaintively. Lorit rummaged through his pockets and came up with a couple of coppers. He added them to the cup.
“Thanks for your kindness,” he said. “Have a safe trip, then.”
The Silver Sun was no different from the others docked at the piers. She was tied up to the dock just where the old man said it would be. Lorit recognized it by the large painting that adorned the bow, of a mermaid holding a silver sun in her palm.
“This looks like the one,” Lorit said. He gestured to the gang plank with its rough steps attached every few spans to provide traction. Chihon headed up the plank, then stepped over the railing and down onto the deck via a set of worn steps that were tied to the inside. The deck was clean but worn so much that the boards no longer formed a smooth surface, but rather rippled across it.
Just aft of the plank were the rear quarters. A door opened onto the deck, and a large seaman exited, ducking to clear the doorway as he did. He had short cropped blond hair, and a beard to match. His black pants were tucked into heavy boots. He wore a broad belt that sported a saber, a knife and a club. His shirt was clean and white beneath the worn and stained red jacket.
“I’m Darves,” he said. “The Captain told me to expect you two.” He looked over the pair and pointed to their packs resting on the deck.
“That all you have?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s all we have,” Lorit said.
“Good, then you won’t have to stow anything below decks. It’ll all fit in my cabin.”
“Your cabin?” Lorit asked.
“Aye, my cabin,” Darves answered him. “When the Captain told me he’d booked passage for a female, I was demoted to the crew quarters for the trip.” He turned towards the rear deck. “It won’t do to have a young woman such as yourself bunked with the crew.”
He motioned them to follow. Lorit picked up both packs to steady himself and let Chihon precede him. They squeezed through a narrow passageway until they came to a door in the side. Darves opened the door and motioned Chihon into the cabin.
The cabin was small but serviceable. A single narrow bunk protruded from the side wall. Across from the bunk were a small desk and an open wardrobe. There was a stand for a pan of wash water with a honey bucket beneath the washstand.
“Packs there,” Darves said pointing to the wardrobe. He did not enter the cabin with them. Lorit and Chihon had to squeeze to get by each other as they stowed their belongings.
“You are going to help in the galley?” he asked Chihon.
“Yes,” she answered. She placed her pack in the wardrobe, atop Lorit’s.
“Come on, then,” Darves said. “Let me show you the way below.” He motioned to her. “Both of you should know where the galley is. I’ll take you there and then show the young man where we need his help,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were following him.