“You are Terravailian?” Darion asked Chalice.
“Yes, well, sort of.” Seeing the curious expression on his face she said: “Half Terravailian, that is.”
He gave her a weighing look. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Eager to change the subject, Ben turned to Ardenne. “Ardenne, can you tell me where your brothers took Master Maehbeck, the young man on the stretcher?”
“I can do better. I can show you. Come, I will take you above board.”
She turned to lead them through the passageway of the lower deck. It was narrow and the bulkheads were made of finely polished wood. It led to a ladder that they ascended to the main deck. The ship was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. The main deck lay just a few paces lower than the quarterdeck where the helm could be seen, its polished wood gleaming from the slanted rays of the eastern sunlight.
Young men and women in modest attire, whom Chalice took to be deck hands, scuffled this way and that, manning the decks and shouting directions to each other as they prepared the ship. A gentle breeze brushed Chalice’s hair into her face and she quickly tucked it back behind her ear. The combination of shouts, polished wood, and ocean smell made her think of being out on the open sea with nothing but the water, the wind, and the stars as guides. Suddenly, out of the din, a young, blond boy who resembled Ardenne ran up to them excitedly.
“You’re back!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, I am.” She smiled down at him. “Lofty, can you do me a favor?” she asked and the boy nodded. “Make sure all guests and crew members are on board and the cargo secured, including the horses, before we weigh anchor and set sail. I’m making you sailing master for this evening.”
“Sure thing, Denni!” He knuckled his forehead and ran off shouting for the boatswain and all hands on the main deck.
“That is my little brother, Brennen.” She smiled and continued to lead them to the cabins on the stern deck. “He is the only one who can really go aloft when we are having problems with the rigging. He also mans the crow’s nest. That is why we call him Lofty. He loves sailing,” she said and stopped. “Ah, here we are.”
They had ascended the stern deck that stretched out in front of a row of cabins. Ardenne motioned in the direction of each cabin.
“Master Graeystone, Master Maehbeck is in here. Your cabin is there and the others are down this way.”
Ardenne nodded to him and continued to walk down the deck. The others followed her as Ben and Bunejab entered Jeremiah’s quarters.
Chalice paused, hesitating. Are they going to finish healing him? she wondered. Seeming to read her mind, Ben turned before shutting the door.
“Chalice, Bunejab and I are going to take care of the rest of Jeremiah’s injuries, but we will be along soon to see to your shoulder.” She looked a question at him and he pointed to her shoulder. “Your bandage is soaked in blood.”
She looked down, and to her astonishment, found that he was right. The bandage that Ardenne had made for her was completely red. She hadn’t even noticed. She jostled her arm forward and back and felt a sting of pain. She found that the bandage was wet and sticky.
Ugh, yuck! She nodded and Ben shut the door as they continued to follow Ardenne to their quarters. They arrived at Chalice’s cabin first. Ardenne opened the door and motioned for Chalice to enter.
“Here you are. There should be a lantern hanging near the bedside table and a washroom to your right. If you are up for it, my family would like to invite you all to dinner tonight.”
“That would be wonderful!” Chalice said, her stomach rumbling.
“Great! After you’re finished washing up, we will meet you just below on the quarterdeck. Right there.” Ardenne pointed to the deck just below them, where the helm stood and Chalice nodded.
“Alright. Thank you,” she said and shut the door behind her. She found it was very dark in the cabin, so she strode over to the table and lit the lantern. Light flooded the room and she could see how small the cabin actually was. The biggest piece of furniture in the room was the bed, which was fairly large. It consisted of a feather mattress, covered in soft fur blankets and tucked into a large, polished wooden bed frame and headboard. A wooden chest lay at the foot of the bed where she placed her bags. The bulkheads were darkly polished wood, decorated with paintings of islands and sea creatures that she had never seen before. Some of the creatures were very small and others were so large, they looked as if they could swallow a whole ship. She made a mental note to ask Ardenne about them. She wondered if the islands and the creatures really existed like the creature carved on the front of the ship.
All the sudden, she heard a loud whistle, which drowned the noise from outside, and then felt the ship lurch powerfully. She fell back onto the chest and was pinned against the wooden bed frame. She realized that the ship had set sail and she could feel the swift motion of the massive vessel underneath her. Everything in the room seemed to shift in the same direction. It was no surprise to her why the Quaie’Miren were so eager to return to the river. This was a fast ship.
After the acceleration of the ship had eased, she sighed, slid off her boots, and massaged her feet. It felt good to sit down and finally remove her riding habit. It was dirty, sweaty and torn all over. She unbuttoned it and peeled it off.
This is ruined, she thought, tossing it into the corner of the room. She winced slightly as a small pang shot down her arm from her sore shoulder. She proceeded to the washroom, where she found a large, lidded bowl of hot water, a wash towel and soap. There was also a brush and soda water for her teeth.
Then, she set to work, brushing and cleaning, digging out all the grit and grime off her skin and out of her hair. It was an arduous task as she was finding it hard to move. The adrenaline rush she had felt from the events of the day was wearing off and real pain was starting to set in. After she was done, she heard a knock. Re-entering the bed chamber, she pulled a soft blanket from the bed and wrapped herself in it. Then, she opened the door to find Ben and Bunejab waiting.
“Oh, it’s you. Come on in.” She let them in and shut the door. She noticed that Bunejab was rubbing the back of his head. “What’s wrong?”
“When the ship set off, he fell off the bed and hit the wall,” Ben said.
“Oh, I’m sorry! You alright?” She looked down at the Chinuk and he nodded. Then, she glanced up at Ben. “How is Jeremiah? Can I see him?”
“He is fine, but it is best if we let him rest. Maybe we can stop in and see him after dinner.”
She nodded. Bunejab chittered something at her in rapid Chinukan and she looked at Ben.
“He wants you to have a seat so he can take a look at your shoulder.”
“Oh, alright,” she said and sat down on the bed. Bunejab jumped up beside her with his bag. He proceeded to unwrap Ardenne’s bandage until it was completely removed. She felt hot liquid drip down her arm and he wiped it with a dampened cloth. It stung badly. Chalice winced as Ben hissed loudly. She looked down and saw that her cut was angry, red, and full of pus.
“There is something wrong with your wound, Chalice,” Ben said as he moved toward her, and without asking, placed his right hand on her forehead. She closed her eyes and felt a warm sensation rush down her neck and into her shoulder. Ben stepped back and shook his head.
“I don’t know what it is. Your body is trying to heal itself, but something is blocking it.” Then, Chalice suddenly remembered what Rhaene had said about the sword that had cut her. Jez … she treated it with toxins.
“Ben, I forgot to tell you something,” she said and proceeded to tell him who Jezebelle really was and what she had done to the sword.
“I see. Alright, I can try to heal it if you want, but it might not work. I am not a skilled herbalist like Bunejab. He may have something better for it. He has medicine that can act as antidotes to certain poisons.” She looked up and he shrugged. “It’s up to you.”
She thought about the little Chinuk and how he had healed her befor
e. Although she was sure of Ben’s ability, she trusted Bunejab.
“I’ll let him do it,” she said.
Bunejab smiled proudly and set to work, cleaning, treating, and bandaging her shoulder. He managed to spread a salve over it that stopped the bleeding and soothed the red soreness. After he was done, it felt much better.
“Will I be able to wear my dress over it?” she asked and Bunejab nodded. “I ask because we’re dining with Ardenne’s family tonight. We’re supposed to meet her on the quarterdeck.” Ben nodded as Bunejab handed her a small packet.
“Those are herbs,” Ben said. “He wants you to put them in your drink tonight. They’re painkillers.”
She reached up and placed her hand on Bunejab’s head. “Thanks, Bunejab!” His ears twitched and his nose flushed with a rosy color.
“We’ll see you on the quarterdeck,” Ben said as Bunejab finished placing the last item into his sack and jumped off the bed. Chalice nodded and they left.
From her bag, she pulled out a fresh white slip and a rose-colored evening gown that Sieren had given her and slipped them on. Then, she grabbed the lantern from its hook and left the room.
The night was cool and the fierce wind brought a chill. She wished she had had her cloak with her as she walked down the planks, but the Quaie’Miren had packed it in their bags when they left camp and had not yet delivered to her cabin. The evening was also surprisingly calm, she noted, and the only sound came from the wind and the splashes of river water as the ship glided through it.
Those present on deck were the night watchmen and Kirna and Tycho who stood by the helm, waiting. As she approached, Chalice thought that her best friend looked beautiful in a brilliantly green evening gown that she, too, had gotten from Sieren.
Kirna smiled. “Your shoulder looks much better. Did Ben heal you?”
“No, there is something wrong with the wound. Bunejab seems to think he can heal it, though, so I let him do the honors.” Chalice glanced down at her shoulder. When she looked up, she noticed a curious expression on Tycho’s face. “What’s up, Tyke?”
“I’m just wondering about this Prophet we’re going meet. Ardenne and her brothers keep talking about how he was right for once. I mean, about finding us.”
“Yeah? So?”
“Well,” Tycho said, frowning, “if this is the first time he has ever been correct about something, then how can he really be called a prophet? A prophet who can’t predict the future? That’s kind of a contradiction, isn’t it?” Kirna scowled at him. “Well it is!” he snapped.
“Given that they just saved us, Tycho,” Kirna retorted, “it’s probably a good idea to watch what you say about them on their ship!” She popped him on top of the head and he winced.
“He is right,” a soft, female voice suddenly said behind them and they all jumped and turned to see Ardenne. Apparently, she had been there for some time, listening.
Damn! She is stealthy! Chalice thought as not even she had heard her walk up behind them. She noticed that Ardenne had taken off her fighting attire and had changed into a beautiful ocean blue gown that was laced with pearls along the back.
“My father is rarely correct when he makes assertions. That’s why we were so surprised to find you. He’s supposed to be our Prophet who reveals information to us that he sees through his gift, but so far, he has only been right once.”
She smiled, not mockingly but more lovingly … or was it pityingly? Chalice couldn’t tell, but it was obvious that Ardenne loved her father despite his failings.
“And yet you still honor him as a prophet?” Tycho asked.
“I understand your point, Master Bendeban, and yes, we do. We have to. Our culture, our beliefs — these things are all that we have. We cannot settle within the Realm. We have never been able because we are so different. We don’t fit in and we don’t own land within the Realm, not even under the old King, which is one reason why we refuse to pay taxes. Also, we do not have the gifts of the Terravail or the talents of the Naeon and we do not have your longevity either. Our lives are much shorter and fleeting compared to yours. We need our customs and traditions to survive. It’s the core of our existence. Without them, we wouldn’t know what to do.”
Chalice had never realized how they were treated by the other races. She had never known. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like.
“We have always been outcasts since the Haeliad because of the way we are,” said Ardenne. “That is why we are called the Lost Ones by some.” She nodded, seeing the surprised expression on Chalice’s face. “Yes, we know what you call us. It doesn’t offend me. And the Haeliad is also a day that we celebrate as well. We honor it because it brought us back to the ocean and islands that we love. A beauty that can never be replaced with anything made by human hands.”
“The islands? The Maaldanese islands?!” Tycho asked in alarm.
“No, don’t worry. We are not Maaldanese. Not anywhere close. There are islands that no one in the Realm or in Maalda know. We call them the Karahali after our first Prophet who discovered them. That was her name.”
“Her name? I thought the prophets were all men,” Chalice asked in surprise.
“No, whoever has the gift is the one who assumes the position when the Prophet passes on. It is usually the son or daughter.”
“And in your case, who will take your father’s place?”
“My brothers say that it will be me. I seem to possess the same talent that my father has, only more strongly, and I should hope so. No one knew where to find you when we set out, but I sensed you and we found you just in time.” She paused as her brows creased thoughtfully. “Although, it was odd. All morning, I couldn’t feel anything and then all the sudden you were there, as bright as day, in my mind. Then, we turned northward and found you.”
“That’s interesting,” Chalice said. “I had just woken up. That morning, I had taken a pretty bad fall off my horse and was knocked out. I think the Draaquans had taken us north intending to deliver us to Dar’Maalda by boat. I woke up when they were …” She stopped, not wanting to think about what had happened to Jeremiah. “Well, right before you came, that is. You really do have the gift.”
Ardenne nodded. “It is hard to believe given my father’s track record,” she said and glanced toward the stairs where Ben and Bunejab were approaching. “Ah, here they are. Shall we proceed?” She pointed to the cabins below the stern deck. “This is where we will be having dinner.”
They followed her down the planks toward the aft of the quarterdeck, where they stood facing the captain’s cabin.
“This is the bridge. It is the cabin from which the ship is commanded. It is also my parents’ dining quarters.”
She grabbed the latch of the bridge and opened it. A rush of warm air blew at them and they saw five figures, in elegant clothing, seated at a large table next to the rear window of the ship. The figures stood as Ardenne entered with their guests. Chalice already knew three of them. Darion and Ardenne’s brothers who had carried Jeremiah to the ship.
The inside of the bridge looked much like the cabins above, although larger and much more ornately decorated, with many various paintings of the same sea creatures that Chalice had seen in her cabin. There was also a model of a large fish with a long, swordlike snout attached to a board on the wall.
“Ah, they are here!” Aeron said. “Mother, this is Chalice Pandretti …”
Aeron proceeded to make the introductions as they were welcomed to the table and given drinks. The woman at the table was tall and beautiful and looked just like Ardenne, but more mature, with small lines of age on her face. The other four were men: Ardenne’s brothers, Darion, and an older man who was short and round, with chestnut hair and brown eyes. Chalice assumed he was the Prophet.
“I am so pleased that we found you!” the Prophet said.
He was a soft-spoken man with kind eyes, Chalice thought, but there was something odd about them. His right eye was lazy and seemed to drift down toward his
nose, giving him a distinctly cross-eyed look. Chalice knew immediately that Tycho had noticed, too, as he was holding his hand over his forehead, scratching his brow, peering down into his lap as if in concentration. Chalice could tell he was trying to keep a straight face. Kirna was giving him a reproachful kick in the leg under the table. The Prophet, completely oblivious to all of this, continued to address them.
“I am looking forward to hearing about your journey here, but for now, you must be famished.” He turned to his wife. “Winni, did Lofty tell the cooks to make enough for eleven?”
“Yes, of course, Sam. That is what I was telling him a half an hour ago before he left. Were you not listening?”
“Oh, I’m sorry! My mind must have been on something else,” he said and she smiled knowingly, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
The door opened and four cabin boys entered, carrying trays of food and the savory scent of bouillabaisse, freshly grilled fish in lemon butter, fresh vegetables, and bread. They set the trays on kickstands that they had carried with them in the crook of their elbows and proceeded to serve the meal to each person individually.
Chalice immediately placed the packet of herbs that Bunejab had given her into her cup of hot water and nursed it slowly. As she did, she felt the dizziness and pain wash away. She noticed that he was watching her, seated on the other side of Ben who sat to her right. She smiled at the little Chinuk and he giggled, turning away, embarrassed. It was odd, but he seemed to be very at home with the Quaie’Miren and they treated him as if he were no different than anyone else in the room. They showed not even a hint of surprise at seeing a Chinuk.
“This smells delicious!” Kirna exclaimed, sniffing the warm fumes that rose slowly from her plate.
“So, what are we eating?” Tycho asked.
“Xiphias,” Aden answered and Tycho looked a question at him. Aden pointed to the model fish on the wall.
“Oh, I see,” Tycho said, glancing at the wall and then back down at his plate.
“You catch this?” he asked and Aden nodded with a mouth full of food. “Where do you get the vegetables?”
The Raie'Chaelia (Legend of the Raie'Chaelia, Book One 1) Page 27