A Twist of the Sands

by P R Glazier

  Chapter 13. Home by the Sea

  They dropped down the coastal path which led them through the many sand dunes at the rear of the beach. The surf pounded over the sand for the breakers were high this day; the sound of the waves breaking on the shore line reminded Nar’Allia of the unbridled power of the great ocean. She tasted the salt sea air and felt the briny stickiness in her hair as she held it from blowing across her eyes so she could view the ocean. Her gaze went out further than the shallow waters near to the beach to where several small fishing boats could be seen rising on the swell, but too far away even for T’Iea eyes to pick out any details of who may be in them. She watched as the boats first rose high on a wave and then fell back down into a trough, sometimes disappearing altogether; even their colourful sails were hidden by the oceans heaving movement on occasions.

  Soon many fishing nets and crab baskets could be seen drying in the sun, caressed by the constant warm breeze. The nets were staked out on heavily weathered wooden frames set out amongst the dunes, the wood looked dry and gnarled like the ancient bones of some long dead creature picked clean of every last morsel of flesh and soft tissue. A cat stalked in and out of the wooden frames obviously intent of catching something, but Nar’Allia could not imagine what. Then she had to smile as following behind the cat, several kittens came tumbling into view, they played constantly, cuffing each other, rolling and capering about, completely oblivious to their mother’s attempts to ensure them their next meal.

  Before long the threesome found themselves amongst the windowless wooden shacks where the fisherman’s tools and other equipment was stored. They passed a couple of smoke houses, both were obviously in use for white smoke and a heat haze could be seen rising from out of the ventilator slats in their roofs. Downwind of these an unbelievably mouth-watering aroma of heavily fragrant wood smoke and fresh smoked fish hung tantalisingly on the air. Then suddenly they were in amongst the houses of the fisherman’s families, several T’Iea women were standing outside, leaning on the gates and fences of their homes chatting and watching them go past, a number of them sucked on long clay pipes, which Nar’Allia recognised as common amongst these simple people.

  Nar’Allia smiled at them, they all nodded back a greeting, one even raised her pipe in a salute and said, “fine day milady,” they nodded in return.

  Nar’Allia clearly remembered her way around the small village. As they got closer to the village centre the path they trod became paved with slabs of rock of varying sizes all carefully laid out in an interlocking fashion with gaps between of varying sizes. Here and there flowering plants grew through the gaps giving the roadway a very colourful look. Nar’Allia remembered as a child picking the flowers here and also skipping across the slabs with other friends her own age, pretending that she could not step upon the gaps between through fear of being eaten by a sea monster. Now of course she wondered at this foolishness, for how a creature big enough to eat her could live in the sand filled gaps between the slabs was beyond her. But she smiled at these simple, innocent childish ideas. The houses they passed reflected similar colours to the flowers in the way that they were painted. All of the paintwork was obviously well maintained as nowhere could be seen any faded or flaking paint. Then they turned a corner and there a little way up the road was the house that Nar’Allia sort.

  A low wooden gate with a piece of faded hemp cord for a latch barred their way into the small front garden where various herbs and vegetables grew. The variances in the fragrance of the plants all tantalisingly sweet, so much so Nar’Allia just stood there for a minute taking in the pleasant scents, they reminded her of foraging in the great wood. She then opened the gate and stepped though. She stood there wondering at how small the house looked now that she was a grown woman. She stared at the old wooden bench against the wall, remembered how two women would sit there upon that seat and gossip for hours whilst she played. One of the women was Minervar, the other was the woman she hoped would be inside this house. Nar’Allia knocked on the front door using a cast metal knocker in the form of a flat fish with an oversized head, she remembered that her uncle Tear’E had told her it was called a Sem’Ea’Reute, a sand skipper, because of its habit of lying flat on the bottom and propelling itself across the sand with a series of jumps instigated by a sharp movement of the flat fins that lined either side of its body. She remembered also that they were good to eat.

  There came a shout from inside, “I hear ye, one moment an’ ar’ll be thar.”

  A few moments later the door opened inwards and there stood a T’Iea female with a ruddy complexion a clay pipe in her mouth even though it wasn’t lit and a skilfully embroidered leather bonnet upon her head as was traditional for the wives of the fishermen, although it tended to be a more common fashion accessory for the older women, the younger ones preferred to wear other adornments of fine crafted metal and glass beads or even flowers and other plants. The woman wore a linen blouse with much fine embroidery across the breast and down the arms. A loose formless skirt of the same material hung long to her ankles. A short thin leather apron tied around her waist. Her bare feet enclosed in wooden clogs, the wood of which shared the same sun and sea bleached appearance as the drift wood on the shore.

  But before she could respond in any way Nar’Allia was crushed in a fierce hug, she could feel the breath being squeezed from her lungs as the older T’Iea grabbed her about the middle and lifted her of the floor. Nar’Allia relished the faint smell of lavender mixed with the same fragrant smell of the wood that these folk used to smoke their catches. It reminded her once again of her childhood, she wondered at the intervening time her forgetfulness of not having smelt that combination in so many long years.

  The woman that grasped her was saying, “well my soul if it isn’t our little Narny, shame on ye not letting us know ye were comin’ my girl, we could have prepared such a welcome. But no it’s so good to see ye again, it must be, oh how long? Hah! Too long my girl, but my how ye’ve grown into a sweet young woman and adorned as a warrior, a ranger, my girl I knew ye’d be great, I jus’ knew ye’d be making something of your life. But here I am keepin’ ye on my old doorstep, come in my girl, come in.”

  Amndo and Jonas stayed outside beyond the gate unsure whether or not they were also invited into the house but U’Sule beckoned them in as well. She stood there looking at all three with a somewhat expectant air.

  Nar’Allia said, “dear aunt U’Sule please forgive me, can I present the Masters, Amndo and Jonas.”

  Amndo removed his hood and bowing said, “always at your service milady.”

  Jonas also bowed, “a pleasure milady.”

  This seemed to please U’Sule for she smiled and giggled and curtseyed in return. Amndo’s appearance did not seem to have any effect upon her in any way as she said, “welcome, welcome, any friend of Narny’s, is indeed a friend to us here in our humble house and always shall be. But what brings ye here my girl? I think the last time we saw ye was when ye were this high.” She motioned with her hand just below her waist.

  “I know aunt U’Sule, it has been too long, I have missed my times here, but you know how the years slip by.”

  How’s that grandfather of yours, my brother, still frettin’ about his potions and plants I suppose?”

  “Well, yes, he still lives on his own in Gel’Te’Ertenya, we have tried to persuade him to come and live with us in our village, but he insists that, too many T’Iea in one place is no good for the plants and he insists that to gather enough to make his various provisions he needs to be left on his own.” 

  “Bah, still an old fool then.”

  Nar’Allia, knew what the next question would be, she would ask after Minervar, she did not want to go through any heart breaking explanation twice so before it could be voiced she said, “what about my great uncle and his sons? Where are they at present?”

  “Ah well they are all out on the fishin’, the catches this year have been better than most, every day they are out makin’ the
most of the abundance, normally I’d be attending the smoke houses, for they are full to overflowing every day this time o’ the year. But I wanted to catch up on some house work. So ye be lucky that I was in.”

  Nar’Allia nodded and said that they had seen the fishing fleet out in the bay as they walked along the dune path towards the village.

  “Yah, that’ll be them I’m sure. But where are my manners, please let me put the kettle on and bring you some refreshments, what am I thinking keeping ye standing about, please come, come in, sit, sit down rest your tired feet. Are ye stayin’ for a while, let me make up the spare room for the men, Tear’E won’t mind bunkin’ in with the boys for a while and you my girl can sleep with me.”

  “We don’t want to be a burden aunt U’Sule really. Please don’t go to all that trouble on our account.”

  “Well ye can go to the communal house if ye like, but I warn ye the fishin’ has been so good it has been turned partly int’ a store for the cured fish. It don’t smell that bad, but then I’m used to it, I’m not sure what ye and your friends would make of sleeping in amongst all that fish though.”

  Amndo wrinkled up his nose and U’Sule chuckling winked at Nar’Allia, “I’ll get the boys to make the necessary changes when they return, in the meantime let me get some tea on the go.” She turned and went through a door at the back of the room.

  That evening when the men had returned from fishing, they had washed and changed out of their work clothing in the communal hall before they had returned home. Nar’Allia remembered Minervar’s uncle Tear’E with a hug, he was most joyful to see her again and she him. His and U’Sule’s three sons the eldest Had’Ress, and the two twins Re’Nert and Pas’Furn all shared the ruddy, salt-spray swarthy features of their father. They sat down to a meal of mouth wateringly prepared fish and vegetables and inevitably the conversation came around to Minervar.

  Nar’Allia, looked with some sadness at her great uncle and said, “I’m sorry uncle Tear’E, aunt U’Sule, but we do not know where Minervar is, this is partly the reason we are here I’m afraid.” She went on to relate the story of how Minervar had disappeared in the house in Amentura. She did leave out the part where they suspected T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran involvement, she thought this would cause unnecessary anguish. She then went on to explain why they were here and eventually she asked if Tear’E knew of any ships sailing to the western continent and the Rust Desert.

  He thought for a while. “This be a grave business t’ be sure. If Minervar had indeed stumbled across a portal that transported her into the Rust Desert, then this is a grave business indeed. But I agree that we should hope that somehow she has survived an’ we should be doin’ everything in our power t’ find her, or at least t’ find out what has become o’ her.” He brightened up a little and said, “as it happens I do know o’ a ship, one that’ll take us across the Trad. However, she will not be sailin’ immediately fo’ she needs some work yet t’ get her sea worthy.”

  Here Nar’Allia noticed that U’Sule was looking at Tear’E in a rather agitated fashion. But he continued, if he had noticed his wife looking at him in this manner he did not acknowledge it or show it in any way. “But, it is late and I perceive your travels have wearied you, let us rest this night and I will show you something in the morning that may give you encouragement and lighten your hearts.”

  The following morning Nar’Allia awoke to hear angry sounding voices, but these voices were being kept in check, a whispered but heated discussion. She arose and getting dressed went into the main room of the cottage. There stood U’Sule and Tear’E, they stopped talking immediately and smiled as if nothing had happened between them. U’Sule seemed to wipe a tear from her eye but she quickly composed herself and greeted Nar’Allia. She then swept from the room and went through the door to the kitchen. Nar’Allia looked questioningly at Tear’E, he would not look her in the eye. But instead made his way to the table and bid her sit, but he remained quiet. Soon they were joined by the others and all enjoyed a simple breakfast consisting mainly of a firm, dark rye bread and smoked fish of varying species, for there were many different kinds to taste and savour.

  There remained however an agitated atmosphere within the cottage and because of this conversation was at a minimum during the meal, no one seemed to pluck up the courage to make small talk or ask any questions through fear of an eruption.

  But in the end Tear’E stood. “I promised yesterday I would show ye something, I will keep t’ my word, if ye would meet me outside the front as soon as you are ready please.” He left immediately and Nar’Allia could see he walked a little way down the street and waited on a corner, he lit a pipe and leaning against the wall started to suck on it whilst keeping his eyes levelled across the street at the cottages opposite.

  When they were finished and ready, Nar’Allia, Amndo and Jonas left the cottage. U’Sule was sniffing into her handkerchief as they left. On seeing them exit Tear’E started to walk away from the cottage waving at them to follow. When they were sufficiently distant from the cottage Nar’Allia started to jog and soon caught up with Tear’E she asked what was the matter with U’Sule.

  All he would say was, “you will see, all will be explained.”

  They walked out of the village and made their way across the dunes once more, but on the opposite side of the village to that they entered upon the day before. This side of R’ealto’Noac’Trado seemed to be used as some kind of repair docks, for many old and dilapidated boats were pulled up onto the sand well out of reach of the tides. The nearer the village the wrecks were, the older they seemed to be and in worse state of decay. Some were just bleached skeletons of hulls almost entirely buried in windblown sand. Most looked to be old fishing vessels, of the type that the villagers used all the time. But even those vessels furthest from the village were all in need of repairs as most had gaping holes in their hulls or complete sections of planking missing. 

  “What is this place?” asked Jonas.

  “Ah, this my friend is where me an’ the lads work at buildin’ boats and doing all kinds o’ repairs an’ the like. I’m afraid that some o’ the vessels here be too old or too damaged to repair, so they have been left here to be used as firewood for the houses and smoking o’ the fish, or to have parts salvaged from them to use on other still sea-worthy vessels needin’ the repairs. I find I’m spending more and more time here these days, levin’ the fishin’ to my lads more and more.

  Eventually three tall masts could be plainly seen, far taller than any so far encountered on any of the vessels that had been pulled up onto the sand. As they got closer they could hear the ropes running up the masts slapping against the wood in the stiff breeze that blew. It became clear that this was where they were headed. As they approached they could see that the three masts belonged to a much larger vessel. But the hull could not be easily seen as it was hidden inside a cocoon of wooden scaffolding. Nar’Allia noticed that as they walked around the scaffolding a deep excavation could be seen below the hull of the vessel. This earth work ended at the seaward end with a wall-like construction shored up by immense pieces of wood driven into the sand. A narrow walkway crossed the top of this wooden construction allowing foot passage from one side to the other. They made their way around to stand on the top of this wall. Looking in the opposite side to that where the ship was shored up, they could see a deep channel had been dug leading all the way down to the ocean, all along the sides of this channel wooden planks had been laid, presumably to stop the sand from falling in and refilling the channel. At the far end Nar’Allia could see the waters of the ocean pouring into this channel which was filling slowly but surely on the incoming tide. On the other side of the wall the deep channel continued beneath the hull of the vessel. The vessel itself was supported upright on a number of other large pieces of wood also driven into the sand.

  “This is m’ dry dock,” said Tear’E with more than a hint of pride in his voice, “we repair and repaint the hulls of boats and ships here. It�
�s quite a lucrative little business, I think I could actually give up the fishin’ all together as the villagers pay me in fish and other necessary things all the time, I in return repair and work on their boats. The work pays well an’ we need for nothing.” He pointed at the ship in the dry dock and continued, “but this ship be mine. I acquired her several months ago from a young human lad who had inherited it or so he said. He wasn’t a sailor himself even though he was descended from a sea farin’ family. The ship had been passed down from generation to generation an’ although having seen much use many years ago, had fallen into disuse as the generations of the family moved away from seafarin’ and into other trades. Eventually I got to hear about it from a traveller in the tavern o’ a small town north o’ here and I went to see the ship, it were beached just outside o’ the town. I think the young lad who was the current owner felt a little saddened at its lack o’ use. The ship was in a bad way, years o’ neglect had taken a toll upon her, but I fell in love with the ship fo’ she is a sound vessel and even though she needed some work her hull and her construction was still strong and remained seaworthy. So I quoted a price for fixing her up. But the young man in question didn’t want to pay such a high price to have the ship restored, it was never his intention to use the ship, or sail her himself. In the end he gave her to me, sayin’ that if I turned a profit from her use I could then give him something by way o’ thanks. He left me sayin’ that he would rather the ship went to good hands and saw some use than just rottin’ away as she was doing. So I re-floated her and towed her here and I have been working on getting her good ever since. She just needs a few finishin’ touches and she’ll be a stout sea going vessel once more, ye see if I’m not right.”

  Nar’Allia looked at the vessel, it looked a fine ship, even to her untrained eye she appeared elegant and well built, she liked the name painted upon the prow, ‘The Ocean Belle’ she was called. “How long will it take to get her sea-worthy and will she take us across the Trad Ocean uncle Tear’E?”

  “Oh she’ll certainly get us across the Trad fo’ sure Narny, she used to ply her trade in that fashion years ago so the previous owner told me. I guess I’d need two or three weeks to get her up t’ scratch, she’s almost there, she just needs the rigging puttin’ up and some sails to be made is all.”

  “Is this what U’Sule was concerned about? Why she was arguing with you?”

  “Aye, this vessel is reputed to have a history as a pirate ship, she believes that it will be unlucky to sail in her. I think the real reason is she doesn’t want us to travel across the Trad at this time o’ year, says winter is comin’ and the comin’ o’ the storms would be risky.”

  “But we can’t delay, every day that Minervar is missing is like a hundred years off my life.”

  “I know lass, ‘tis the same with me, so I’d better get on with the Belle here and have her ready in double quick time, sooner we can sail, the better our faring against the ocean will be.”