by Imogen Elvis
Kade cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Captain Finbar.”
“Why?”
The speaker was a man sitting in the very centre of the group. He leaned back, tilting his stool onto two legs. One booted foot rested on the tabletop, anchoring him precariously in place, while the other was crossed over his knee. He raised a heavy eyebrow at Kade, his eyes sharper and more suspicious than his relaxed posture would suggest.
“We’d like to discuss some business,” Briar said. “Privately, if possible.”
“What, you can’t say it in front of the rest of us, girlie?” the woman with the red bandanna jeered. “Whatcha got to hide, huh?”
Briar’s cheeks heated at the woman’s words, but she held her gaze. “As far as I’m aware, the captain is the person to do business with on the ship. We prefer to speak with him if that’s possible.”
“Well, you’ve found the captain. So, what do you want?” The man heaved his boot off the table, and the legs of his stool thumped back onto the floor.
“Captain Finbar. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Briar took a deep breath, trying to calm the fluttering in her stomach. She’d done this plenty of times before. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kade’s encouraging look. “Would you mind if we took our conversation somewhere more private?” She gave the rest of the crew a pointed look.
Finbar raised his eyebrows, but hauled himself slowly to his feet, pointedly taking his time. “Lead the way.” The look he gave her was sceptical, and almost a little mocking, like he didn’t believe someone like her could have anything of any importance to discuss.
Briar and Kade exchanged a glance. Well, at least he’d speak with them. That was the first hurdle. Briar led the way over to the table in the corner where Lara sat, waiting for them. Finbar followed her, and Kade brought up the rear. They moved in silence. Briar’s skin crawled with the knowledge that the crew of the Done Wishin’ watched their every move. It was a relief to reach the table in the relative privacy of the shadowy back corner. Briar slid into the seat next to Lara, and Kade took the one at the end of the table, leaving an entire bench for the captain.
Finbar didn’t waste any time, cutting straight to the point even before he’d properly sat down. “You need something shipped?”
“Not exactly,” Briar said. “We’re looking for passage downstream.”
There was a moment of silence as Finbar regarded them all as if he was trying to figure out whether they were serious or not. Finally, he gave a sharp bark of laughter. “I thought you said you had business to discuss. I don’t take passengers. Nobody goes aboard my ship but me, my crew, and the cargo I get paid to deliver.”
“There’s always time to make an exception,” Lara said.
“Why should I? I’m not looking to turn my barge into a passenger ferry. I take cargo, and that’s it. No people.” Finbar folded his arms.
Jacobi, the dockmaster, was right. Finbar really didn’t like taking passengers. Already, Briar could feel their hope draining away. It could be days before another ship arrived in Gathi, and even then, they weren’t guaranteed that it would take them either. And who knew what Master Sachio could be doing in the meantime? No, there had to be a way to convince him. Briar studied the captain’s face, the way his mouth twisted as he argued with Lara, the way his eyes glittered when he talked about what he did ship aboard his barge. He didn’t like passengers. He did like cargo. Cargo, he stressed, that he was paid to deliver.
“We’re little more than a week away from Mizra,” Briar said. “We wouldn’t inconvenience you for long. And of course, we expect to pay. We don’t take up as much room as a load of cargo does. If you take us, you could earn something more on top of your usual fee. It would be well worth your while.”
“Girl, you couldn’t pay my price, even if I was interested in taking you.” His words were harsh enough, but he wasn’t saying no, exactly.
“And what is your price?” Lara asked.
“Ten royals. Each.”
Briar’s eyes widened. That was a small fortune. “That’s a high price.”
“You want to travel on a cargo ship, you have to pay cargo prices.” Finbar shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”
Briar exchanged a look with Kade, one hand rising to fiddle with her iron medallion. They needed to reach Mizra as quickly as possible. Every delay was a risk. But thirty royals was a lot. Did they even have that much money? After so long on the road, surely Lara’s purse was empty by now. Briar could see the same worries reflected in Kade’s eyes. Even if they could afford the price, was it worth risking all that money to travel with this captain and his crew? He very well might take all their money and leave them stranded.
“I think we’re going to need to talk this over-” Kade began.
“Done.” Lara cut right across him. “But for that price, we expect food and beds. And to be delivered to Mizra with no questions asked.”
Finbar blinked in surprise, and for a moment he actually seemed to be lost for words. As was Briar. How could Lara speak for their money so easily? Shouldn’t they at least discuss this? But, as quickly as the surprise appeared on Finbar’s face, it disappeared, replaced with a snarl that bared his teeth. “Fine. But you pay half before you board. And you’d better not be expecting luxury. The Wishin’s a working vessel.” He stood, pushing back the bench with a long screech that set Briar’s teeth on edge. “We sail at dawn. Be there, or we leave without you.” With that parting shot, he strode away.
Briar watched him go, her brows drawing together in a frown. They had passage downstream, which should have been a good thing. But now, she wasn’t even sure of that any more. She couldn’t find the words to express her concerns, but she had her doubts about travelling anywhere with Captain Finbar.
Kade, however, seemed to have no such problems “What were you thinking, Lara? He wants thirty royals. Thirty. Don’t you think we should have discussed this before agreeing to so steep a price? It’s practically robbery. Briar might have been able to talk him down a little at the very least.”
“We have enough to cover the fee.” Lara tossed her braid over her shoulder, her jaw tightening. “And we need to get to Mizra quickly. It’s worth every coin if we get there sooner.”
“Paying Finbar will take everything we have,” Kade said. “If we spend all our money now and need more later, what are we supposed to do then? We could have just rejected his price and waited for another ship that wasn’t going to cost us every coin we have.”
“What is there to talk about? We’d have come to the same conclusion anyway. This way, we have a better chance of reaching Mizra in time to actually do something. And once we get to Mizra, we can access my funds. We’ll have all the money we need. This is our best option, Kade.” Lara folded her arms on top of the table, her voice rising. “You’re just bitter because you don’t want to admit I’m right.”
“Shh.” Briar glanced around, ducking her head as if somehow that would make her less noticeable. “Someone’s going to hear you both.” Behind them, the crew broke into a tuneless song, and the captain gestured to the serving boy to bring him more ale. They didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Briar and her friends now, but still, they should be more cautious.
“If you prefer,” Lara added, her voice lower but her tone no less cutting, “we can let the boat leave without us, waste the whole evening’s work, wait a week or more for another, and most likely reach Mizra too late to do anything but watch as Sachio is crowned king. Is that what you would like?”
Kade pushed his chair back with a screech, his hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles glowed white. Briar could practically see the anger rolling off his shoulders in waves. When he spoke, his words were clipped. “I’m going to talk to the innkeeper about getting us a couple of rooms for the night. If we can still afford that?”
“Of course not. How stupid do you think I am?” Lara met Kade’s eyes with an accusing glare.
“I’d rath
er not answer that.” Kade held out his hand and waited until Lara flung a couple of coins into his outstretched palm with a disgusted huff, before marching away in search of the innkeeper.
“I thought he would be happy,” Lara said into the silence left in his wake. “This is exactly what we hoped for. Would it really have made that much of a difference had we gone away and discussed it first?”
“It would to him,” Briar said softly. And to her too. “We’re a team. We’re supposed to work together.”
“We’re also supposed to trust each other,” Lara said. “It’s just money. I have more in Mizra. There is nothing more important right now than stopping Sachio. After everything he’s done, after all the people he’s hurt-” Lara sucked in a sharp breath. Briar guessed she was probably thinking of her brother, Rowen, who had been killed on Master Sachio’s orders. “There’s nothing more important than reaching Mizra. And if it costs us thirty royals to get there, then that is a price I am willing to pay.”
Briar and her friends left the inn early the next morning. Despite the relative comfort of their rented rooms, Briar had struggled to sleep, caught between her worry over Kade and Lara’s argument, which hadn’t cooled any over the course of the evening, and her anxiety about the trip ahead. It was true, sailing with the Done Wishin’ would get them to Mizra quickly. But still, she wondered if they were trusting Finbar more than they should.
They walked in silence, partly because it was too early for conversation, and partly because Kade strode on ahead, his hood pulled down, closed off from everyone. Briar was relieved when they reached the dock. The Sun Bird bobbed silently in the gentle swell of the river, the deck empty, as peaceful and serene as the river in the pre-dawn glow. The Done Wishin’, however, was a complete contrast. The crew bustled about the deck, shifting crates, tightening the ropes that lashed the cargo to the deck, and adjusting the large, weatherproof sheets stretched over the piles of sacks. Finbar himself stood at the rail, overseeing the preparations, his sharp voice occasionally rising with a command that his crew was quick to carry out.
“I’ll pay the captain.” Lara stepped onto the gangplank ahead of Briar and Kade, her hand already on the purse that hung at her waist. A polite smile spread over her face as she approached Finbar. “Good morning, captain.”
Finbar turned, his mouth twisting. “You made it.” He held his hand out. “Money.”
“Can we at least bring our packs on deck first?” Lara asked.
Half before you come aboard. That was our agreement.”
Lara pressed her lips together into a thin line, but opened her purse anyway, counting the money into Finbar’s outstretched hand. Briar winced, her fingers curling as each coin rattled into stack growing in the captain’s palm. That money would have fed them for weeks. But it was worth it. That's what she had to keep telling herself. Completely worth the exorbitant price.
Finbar counted the coins a second time, before finally tucking them away in his pocket and stepping out of the way, allowing Lara, Briar, and Kade to board the barge. “Micah, show them where to stow themselves. Get them out from under my feet.” He strode away from the railing, his attention already taken by some more pressing matter.
A man broke away from the group restacking crates and approached Briar and her friends, brushing his hands off on his pants. “Welcome to the Done Wishin’.” There was no tone of welcome in Micah’s voice, only a mocking glitter in his eyes. “Step this way.”
So much for civility. Money could buy them a bed, but not a warm welcome, it seemed. Briar and her friends followed Micah as he led the way along the length of the boat. The barge was mostly wide, flat deck, with a railing running around the edge of it. This was piled high with all the cargo they’d be delivering up and down the river. Briar caught a couple of cold, sideways glances from the crew members and ducked her face away. At the back of the boat was a small deckhouse, just two rooms, with a tiny lean-to tacked onto the side. Judging by the potbellied stove belching smoke into the sky, this was what passed for a kitchen. There were also two doors set into the front of the deckhouse. Micah pushed open the door closest to the lean-to.
“Captain’s cabin’s been cleared for the ladies. There’s a bunk in the crew quarters for you.” He nodded at Kade.
“Thank you.” Briar offered him a tentative smile. “We appreciate the kindness.”
Micah shrugged. “It’s no kindness. You pay, you get your place on the ship. Just like the cargo. Stow your stuff before we cast off.” And with that, he turned and headed back out onto the main deck without a backwards glance.
Briar stepped into the cabin first. There were no windows, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light inside. It was a narrow room, barely wide enough for the single bunk, which was fixed to the wall, leaving a small space to step between that and the shelves on the other side of the cabin. A map hung next to the door, its surface waxy to protect against water, while a few belongings, such as a ledger and an assortment of other, smaller items, covered the shelves. But, for the most part, the captain’s belongings had been cleared out to make way for Briar and Lara.
“Well,” Lara said after a moment, “it’s private and it’s clean. Better than I was expecting.” She dumped her travelling pack on the floor and pushed it under the bunk with the toe of her boot.
For the price they were paying, the captain could well afford to clear out of his cabin for the few days it would take for them to reach Mizra. Briar and Kade stowed their packs underneath the bunk next to Lara’s. Then, with their gear safely out of the way, they headed back out on deck.
Outside, the crew had finished their final cargo checks and now scattered over the ship, pulling in the gangplank, casting off the mooring rope, and unfurling the large white sails. The deck lurched underfoot as the sails caught the breeze, and the barge pulled slowly away from the dock, out into the open water of the river.
Briar curled her fingers lightly around the railing. Streaks of orange and pink coloured the early sky, reflected in wavering patterns on the surface of the water. The trees around them were still shadowy and soft, but morning was definitely on its way. And so were they, heading downriver at last, on their way to Mizra. Despite all her worries, Briar’s hopes rose. Maybe this would be alright after all.
Lara stifled a yawn. “Well, that’s that. There won’t be anything to do now until we reach Mizra. I’m going to sleep for a while.” She turned and headed back inside the captain’s cabin, closing the door firmly behind her.
That just left Briar and Kade. Briar turned to speak to Kade, but he was already gone, goodness knew where. Oh. It was just her then. She hesitated. Lara’s idea of using their time on the boat to rest sounded good, but now that they were underway, Briar was more excited than sleepy. The last stage of this journey, which would have taken them weeks on foot, would be over in only a few days at most. Mizra was almost within their grasp.
Briar made her way to the prow of the boat. None of the crew members gave her a second look as she passed, carrying on with their work as if she didn’t even exist. Briar made her way right up to the blunt prow of the barge. Out here, there was nothing but her and the fresh wind in her face, and the open river before them, winding slowly but surely south. Briar raised her face to the rising sun and drew in a deep breath. Mizra, here they came.
CHAPTER THREE
The rising sun sparkled like shards of crystal over the surface of the river. The water foamed around the blunt nose of the barge as it forged its way downstream, while the sails snapped and bellied out, filled by the cheerful breeze. Out here, as far from the unfriendly crew as Briar could get, everything was peaceful. Apart from the Done Wishin’ and a few water birds paddling near the bank, the wide expanse of river was empty. There seemed to be nothing in the entire world at this moment other than them. Away from Gathi, with all those watchful eyes, and the danger of being recognised, Briar could finally breathe.
It was midday before Lara finally reappeared, weav
ing her way through the stacks of cargo to join Briar at the front railing. They stood side by side in silence, looking out over the empty water ahead until Lara let out a deep sigh.
“Sleep well?” Briar asked.
“Surprisingly so.” Lara stretched, arching her back. “The bunk is actually very comfortable.” She glanced around. “Where’s Kade?”
Briar shrugged. “I haven’t seen him in a while.” Who knew where he had stowed himself on this boat to ride out his silent anger? “What will it be like when we reach Mizra?”
“It will be completely different from any place you’ve ever been to before. It’s far bigger than any of the towns we’ve passed through so far. There are so many people there at all times, which will make it easy for us to lose ourselves in the crowds. Sometimes I think the city never sleeps. But there are also many, many soldiers. Mizra has its own personal guard. Still, if we can make it inside the city walls, we can head straight to my and Ro-” she caught herself, “-my house. I have money there, and we can get fresh clothes and anything else we need.
“It must be difficult going home without Rowen,” Briar said softly.
“I’ve been there plenty of times without him.” Lara gave a short laugh, which carried an edge. “It’s not going to be all that different.”
“I suppose so.” It would be more difficult than Lara wanted to believe, Briar knew that from bitter experience. She shivered just thinking of returning to her own, desolate village. There was such a difference between being there alone, knowing that your family were somewhere else, and being confronted by the memories of the people you’d lost. And Rowen’s death was so tied to everything they were doing.
“Rowen would have loved this part of the journey.” Lara’s voice grew wistful as if she were speaking to herself. “He always wanted to travel more, follow the rivers, go further south, maybe even as far as the coast.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “For now, though, we should concentrate on Sachio. You’re sure that the loss of the crystal leaf will have weakened his powers?”