The Scarlet King (39 page)

Captain Cook had created an additional small
cabin for the Scarlet King, which he now shared with his physician.
It was the smallest bed the King had slept on since his early
childhood, but he cared not for he had made his decision and the
loss of the royal privilege seemed but a small price to pay.

They traveled well with only moderate seas
until they came to the Great Cape. As the seas became more
disorganized, those of the Forest again suffered the sickness of
the sea. Heather, Jason, and Captain Cook shared the duties of the
helm, and whenever Jason was at the helm, there too was the Scarlet
King. They spent many hours at first just discussing the principles
of navigation, but then matters of life in general, especially the
politics of court. Jason explained, "When in the palace I was King,
but felt more the prisoner for the demands made of me. When at sea
I can breathe fully and feel the freedom that others enjoy."

When the Scarlet King asked what Jason would
do if he could choose to do anything, Jason responded, "I would set
sail and seek the land that gave rise to our peoples. I would then
continue the trip, exploring eastward until I again returned to my
homeland."

The Scarlet King was quiet for some time
before responding, "I would share your dream, but fear that my time
in this existence is very short. I will be satisfied to be amongst
the great trees which have brought me such comfort." He then asked,
"You are confident that as you sailed east you would not eventually
fall off the end of the Earth?"

Jason responded not at first and just stared
ahead, adjusting the helm as needed. He finally replied, "I would
have the mathematicians check my work, but by my calculations the
world is round and everything connected by the great oceans. Until
one accomplishes the journey of exploration we will not know for
sure."

The Scarlet King responded not, but Rheon
spoke up, saying, "My people speak of strangers who have come both
from the north and west but also from the east. Trade was limited,
for they had traveled such a great distance." She added, "The
strangers from the East were not so pale as you." When Jason asked
of the language of the strangers, Rheon but shrugged her shoulders,
saying, "It was before my time, but the stories remember."

Chapter 19

As they rounded the Great Cape, Heather and
Daniel sat topside and said little but simply watched the rolling
sea and enjoyed the presence of the other. When the seas began to
settle Heather spoke, saying, "Only one more day until we see our
son." Daniel said not but simply squeezed her hand. The evening air
finally forced them below.

Those of the Forest had already begun the
evening meal, which needed to be served in small groups, for their
space was small. It was difficult to tell stories, for people were
always coming and going nor was there a campfire to gather around.
Jeremy did his best recounting tales of their previous adventures,
but without the ale the full impact was not present.

As evening became evident, Larby and Captain
Cook worked together to determine the tides. But no matter how hard
they tried they could not figure a way to arrive at high tide.
Captain Cook finally announced, "We will spend another night
offshore and plan on crossing the harbor entrance at midmorning
with a high tide."

Heather and Daniel accepted the news because
they had no other choice. Seeing their baby would have to wait
another day. Heather was so filled with anticipation that she had
trouble participating in the evening meal, and after a short period
looking at the moon, she and Daniel retired to their small cabin
for time together.

With the rising of the sun, Captain Cook
again took control of the helm and had the sails adjusted to take
the ship out of irons. As the ship gained speed, Heather's
anticipation also increased to the point that she had trouble
visiting with others. She could smell in her mind their baby and
her fingers could feel the softness of his skin.

They traveled ever so slowly towards the
harbor entrance, and had no sooner entered the harbor than it was
evident that something was seriously wrong. Washed up against the
rocks was one of the black ships. Captain Cook had the alarm called
out and the cannons prepared. They sailed into the harbor entrance
and saw another of the black ships smashed against the rocks, and a
third sunken with only its mast protruding above the water. Heather
stared anxiously at the cliffs looking for signs of life, but there
were none. The small building those of the Red had occupied had
been destroyed and no one was manning the lookout. Jeremy climbed
the mast and called down, "The harbor catapult has been
burned."

Daniel's heart was racing and all he could do
was hold tightly to Heather, who was trembling with fear and whose
face was fixed with an expression of disbelief. At first there were
no tears, but then she finally spoke: "What has become of our
baby?" The tears began to flow with a vengeance. Daniel simply let
her cry, for he knew not how to console her. Holding her tightly
brought some solace to both of them.

Betty came up from below chewing on some hard
bread and said, "Babies okay. You need not cry."

Heather through her tears asked, "Where is my
baby?"

Betty but shrugged her shoulders and pointed
out to sea. Heather asked, "You think our babies are out in the
ocean somewhere?"

Betty continued chewing on the hard bread and
replied, "They coming back but not yet." Heather knew there would
be no use to further question Betty, for she had given them all
that she knew. How she knew things was a mystery, but there was no
doubt of her ability. Heather worked to control her tears, and
after her composure was regained she joined with Jason and Captain
Cook. Captain Cook trusted not their situation and wished to return
to the safety of the sea, but Jason wished to explore for signs of
survivors and clues of what went on. Heather listened for some time
to the discussion before saying, "Betty says Larby's people are
coming back with our babies."

Jason wanted to know where they had gone to,
but Heather knew not. The discussion continued but for a short time
before Heather announced, "We of the Forest will go ashore, for if
an attack occurs we can flee to the high ground. The rest should
stay aboard and flee to the safety of the sea. The signaling
mirrors will keep us connected." Both Jason and Captain Cook nodded
in agreement and Captain Cook positioned the ship for the lowering
of the boats. As soon as those of the Forest had been ferried
ashore, the ship sails were again raised and Captain Cook rode the
outgoing tide to the safety of the open sea.

Those of the Forest began setting up a small
camp and scouting the area for signs of danger. Heather asked
Jeremy to scout an escape route if needed, and he and Edna were
soon off exploring. Only after the initial reports came back
without signs of danger did Heather allow the exploration of the
homes of Larby's people. The cooking pots were in place and
clothing still remained. It was obvious they had left in a hurry,
and Heather assumed it was the arrival of the black ships. There
was no sign of conflict in the caves themselves. As they moved
along the shore to the small building those of the Red had built,
there were signs of conflict, with impacts from the ships’
catapults visible along the beach. The small stone building had
been pretty much demolished.

Daniel spoke up, saying, "The black ships
seemed to have won the battle but not without great losses.”

One of the Forest was searching through the
rubble and came across an opening into a small room that had
survived. The light was poor and they could see not into the
interior. A simple torch was made and Daniel peered into the small
room, which appeared to be a simple storage room with small crates
of supplies. As Daniel maneuvered the torch, the smoke irritated
his eyes and at first he was not sure of what he had seen. He
blinked hard several times before he was sure that what he saw
propped up against the crates was truly a skeleton. There was no
stench, so it had been many weeks since the person had died.

Daniel withdrew, and the ashen color of his
face told Heather that something was wrong. When questioned, he
said only, "One has died in their storage room leaving behind only
a skeleton." There were many questions, but Daniel said only, "I
need a better torch."

Heather and the others rested while a better
torch was made and finally lit. Daniel took the lighted torch, and
this time dropped down feet first into the small room. Now without
the smoke in his face he could definitely detect the musty odor. He
looked closer at the skeleton, which was covered in some rags that
seemed to be caked with dried blood. He examined the skull but
there was no evidence of fracture. The bones were still partially
connected by their ligaments, but the rodents had scattered them
somewhat.

Daniel forced himself to ignore the skeleton
and examined more closely the contents of the room. Most of the
crates were empty, but on top of one was a scroll with columns of
writing, which seemed to be an inventory. At the bottom in a very
uneven hand was other writing. The torch was burning low, and
Daniel carefully rolled the scroll before climbing up out of the
storeroom.

He took several deep breaths before
responding to the many questions. He said, "Someone survived the
attack for long enough to write on the scroll but died of his
injuries. I know not if he was of the Red or from the East but
appears not as Larby's people." When asked of the meaning and other
writing on the scroll, Daniel but shrugged his shoulders, saying,
"The writing is poor and I am not even certain of the language.
Hopefully Jason and Rheon can work with the scholar from those of
the East and interpret it for us." He then added, "I would have
help in burying the dead."

As those of the Forest began digging a grave,
Daniel again entered the storage room, taking with him a large
cloth cape that was freed from the debris. He diligently re-created
the skeleton, replacing the scattered bones in the proper
anatomical position. He closed up the cloth cape and secured it
with light rope. He then passed the wrapped skeleton through the
opening to those above who ever so gingerly pulled it up. When the
grave was completed, Daniel took responsibility for lowering the
dead into the ground. A prayer to the God of the Sacred Water was
offered as the grave was filled with dirt.

Heather watched from the edge of the water,
alternating her attention between the burial and the flashing of
light from the mirrors that the lookout was using to summon back
Captain Cook. She knew not if there would be enough daylight for
the ship to return, for the high tide would be just after sunset.
The scouts had found no other evidence of life, but much evidence
of the battle which had been mostly fought with the engines of war.
It appeared to her that initially the catapult of those of the Red
controlled the battle, but then something happened to the catapult
and the smaller engines of war aboard the ships finally won out.
The real mystery was what happened to Larby's people and her
baby.

Those of the Forest had already lit their
campfire and the sun had descended to the very edge of the ocean
when the lookout called out, "Ship approaching." Heather debated
putting out the fire, but decided that the smoke would be as much a
telltale as the fire if the ship was not theirs. A few tense
moments passed before the lookout made positive identification,
calling out, "I see Larby in the bow." With the ship safely in the
harbor, those of the Forest continued their preparation for the
evening meal, and more importantly for the telling of stories.

Captain Cook would not leave his ship and
come ashore even though he knew that traversing the narrows into
the harbor was all but impossible at night. Jason and Rheon came
ashore and along with them was the scholar from the East. They
joined those of the Forest for a simple meal of travel rations. Not
until everyone had finished eating did Heather bring up the subject
of the scroll that Daniel had found. Jason was much intrigued, but
when he examined the writing, said, "The first portion is an
inventory list but the second portion is written in a different
language." Rheon and the scholar were looking over his shoulder but
said not until Jason looked up asking their opinion.

Rheon spoke first, saying," The symbols are
much like the symbols of those of the East but seem more primitive.
It seems to be talking about the battle."

The scholar but nodded his head until Jason
specifically asked the meaning of the writing. The scholar first
asked if he could hold the scroll; he turned it so the light was
more effective. He said, "It is written in the old style of my
people from the East and I cannot fully understand it. It has been
many years since the old style was used and only a few poorly
educated people use it now."

He continued his study and slowly translated
for the others the story of the battle and how the writer had
survived the sinking of their ship. The ship had struck a rock and
the wind had blown them against the rocky cliff. He had been thrown
from his lookout post onto the shore and was knocked unconscious.
By the time he awoke the battle had moved on and he could find no
other survivors of their ship. He kept moving towards the battle in
the harbor but the going was very slow, for his breathing was hard
and the shoreline very rocky.

He watched as the catapult on the high ground
succeeded in sinking two more of their ships before they finally
succeeded in destroying it. Landing parties prepared for battle but
found only a few of the Red guarding their building. He had moved
as quickly as possible, but the landing parties had already
departed before he finally arrived at the site of the battle. The
ships sailed off with the tide, leaving him stranded.