Keshav and Babita had their lentil soup, Rohan his steak, then they retired to sleep, ignoring the games going on at some tables. Leaving early meant that the common bedrooms were half-empty and their sleep was deep enough after the last stretch of walking that the other guests didn't wake them up when they went to bed.
With the first light they had breakfast and headed for the river to wash themselves and their clothes.
"I miss the public baths of Godwalkar," Babita said, sitting on a rock with only her undergarment as she waited for her gown to dry.
"I don't think we'll find anything until we reach a town, right?" Keshav said, looking at the bridge further downriver. He and Rohan had shaved as well as washing themselves, and had hung their tunics onto low branches.
"Unfortunately no." She sighed. "But we should reach Nalach in another ten days."
"Where is Nalach?" Rohan asked. He lay on another rock, bare-chested, eyes closed under the sun.
"On the coast." Babita shrugged, looking away. Her eyes seemed to linger way too much on the half-naked young man.
Keshav smiled and pulled out his map, opening it on his lap. She leaned to point to the town on the map.
"This is the northern border," she said. "Beyond it's nobody's land. There are castles and villages, but no real king taking care of the roads or of security or even taxes, although we might find bandits roaming there."
"Bandits?" Rohan opened his eyes and sat, grinning. "I get to use my sword?"
"Let's hope not," she replied, not looking at him. "I think we should take a ship to Hurlevent, here, it's safer."
"Have you seen the sea?" Rohan asked.
"I was born on the coast," Babita said.
"Delen is on the coast," Keshav added.
"Oh, right. So I'm the only one who never went on a ship." Rohan hugged his knees, frowning.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Babita said. "Those ships are very safe."
"I took a few from Delen to go around the continent, and yes, it's a very safe way of traveling," Keshav added. "Probably safer that trudging on unknown, unsafe roads."
Rohan smiled again. "I trust you both! Ship it is, then!" He lay back down and closed his eyes again.
Keshav and Babita exchanged a glance, then shrugged.
"So in ten days we reach the coast, and then? How long by ship?" Keshav asked.
"Another ten days, maybe less if the winds are good." She pursed her lips. "Then the hard part starts. It might take us up to twenty days to reach Konigtown through here." She traced the map with her finger. "That's where we'll probably have to sleep under the stars a few times."
"Nice," Rohan commented without moving.
"How many times have you slept under the stars, your highness?" Babita sounded slightly sarcastic.
"Never." He sat again and smiled impishly at them. "You're making me do things I've never done before, and I'm very happy about it. Enough of that sheltered life already! I look forward to using my sword and sleeping under the stars and sailing the sea..."
"And reaching our destination safe and sound," Keshav said, amused. "My tunic is dry, shall we move?"
He rose and folded the map again. With a sigh, Rohan put on his tunic and soon they were on their way again, on the paved road that followed the other shore of the river, now to their left. On the other shore, the lower slopes of the mountains had vineyards and meadows. A thick forest of beeches and aspens grew on their right, sheltering them from the sun for most of the way.
Again they walked, hitched rides, slept in farms and washed in the river until the road kept going straight east while the river bent towards the mountains it came from.
"I sure hope there are public baths in Nalach," Keshav muttered as they prepared to sleep in a barn.
"Don't worry, we'll be there in a couple of days," Babita answered, rolling over the hay to get some sleep.
Keshav noticed that Rohan was smiling. Maybe he should ask for a private bath chamber if he wanted to avoid the burning stare of the prince while he washed himself...
***
Two weeks after leaving Godwalkar, they reached Nalach. It was a small town with no walls except around the fortress at the mouth of a small river that came straight down from the Central Massif. A stone bridge crossed it and led to the sea harbor. A couple of small fluvial piers were on the side of the fortress.
There was only one inn, right outside of the fortress and next to the public baths. The Wandering Jester Tavern had most rooms occupied, but they were able to book a small room for Babita and a double room for Keshav and Rohan. The rooms had locks on the door, so they left everything but clean clothes at the inn and headed for the baths.
Keshav was glad to immerse himself in clean water, almost warm and definitely more comfortable than wading into a river. The pools were similar to the ones he was used to and other men lingered in the water.
Keshav gratefully removed the dust of the journey from his body and hair, then shaved, mirrored by Rohan. They sat in a corner of the pool and didn't try to make friends with the other men until they felt at least decent.
"I'm surprised to see you grooming yourself so well," Keshav said, breaking the silence between him and Rohan. "I thought a king's cousin would be used to having servants doing everything for him."
"Indeed." Rohan smiled. "I told you it's an exciting journey that is teaching me lots of new skills."
"You mean you never did it before?" Keshav asked, puzzled. "You never shaved yourself?"
"No. I had the palace barber showing up every morning at my door." Rohan chuckled. "How am I doing?"
He showed off his clean jaw.
"I'm impressed," Keshav had to admit. "You never cut yourself and managed to do it perfectly fine since we left."
"Well, I had considered asking you, but I'm sure it's not easy to shave somebody else, so I thought I might as well learn," Rohan replied. "What about your face scars? Are they from the razor?"
Keshav touched his chin and upper lip. "No, childhood fall. I still had my milk teeth or I'd have a toothless smile by now."
"Oh." Rohan's eyes fell on his torso. "And the other scars? You're not a warrior, how did a scholar manage to get all those?"
"By being beaten up quite often," Keshav answered. "Nobody likes a scholar. Or a smart student that puts everybody else to shame. Except in gymnastics, that is."
"You have a great body anyway. For not using it much, I mean. You do keep yourself fit, don't you?"
"I do walk a lot, more than you ever did." Keshav shrugged.
Walking helped him think and ponder on what he read. Walking helped him remember what he learned or elaborate on it. He had noticed the walking was hard on the prince, but Rohan had never complained.
"I'm getting good at that too, am I not?" Rohan asked.
"You're doing just fine, your highness."
"Don't!" Rohan threatened.
"We seem to be using your title only to tease you," Keshav replied, amused.
Rohan opened his mouth, realized it was true, and laughed good-naturedly.
"You're right. Sorry. Over-sensitive in that field."
"You must have been used to being called by your first name."
"Well, I'm the king's cousin, not his brother. Yes, we're still royal family, but it's less formal at my father's palace..." He frowned. "Was. Although he still wanted me to behave like a prince. So I had very few friends there. I spent most of my time with my cousin Dilip when I was a child. And Abhilash. But then both got married and..." Rohan shrugged and stared at his body in the water.
"And what are you waiting for?" Keshav asked. "Even if you prefer male lovers, it doesn't mean you can't do your duty to a wife..."
Rohan's amber eyes stared at him.
"Is that what King Rahul does?" he asked bluntly.
Keshav nodded. "And King Vivek of Lakeshi. And King Roshan of Rajendra was healed by a male lover, so even if he loves his queen, sometimes he still visits his general. And I know of other m
en who do both."
Rohan nodded, thoughtful. "I would like to speak to any of them eventually. But what about you?"
"Me?" Keshav scoffed. "I'm a scholar, I'm chaste."
"And how do you manage that?" Rohan asked with an impish smile.
"I'm sure you can control your urges if you want," Keshav answered. "Or are you so used to getting what you want that you'd force yourself on someone who doesn't want you?"
"If that were the case, you'd already be mine." Rohan winked, then averted his eyes. "I think we better get out of the water. I'm hungry, and you?"
Keshav wasn't sure he understood the prince yet, but hopefully he had deterred Rohan enough that he wouldn't try anything with him.
The Wandering Jester was crowded by the time they went back to eat, but the noise was quiet and subdued. It wasn't as well-lit as the Lucky Snake and all the dark corners were occupied, so they had to sit in a more central table with a passed-out drunk mercenary who didn't even notice.
"He should have bathed too," Rohan said, wrinkling his nose with distaste.
A bard had come in and was playing good music in the background. Rohan had his usual meat dish while Keshav and Babita had fish and potatoes.
"Tomorrow morning we'll go looking for a ship to Hurlevent," Babita said, rising from her bench after the meal. "I wish you both good night."
Keshav and Rohan retired to their room. The sun had gone down and a cool breeze came in from the sea through the single window.
"Is this the smell of the sea?" Rohan asked as they lay on their cots before blowing out the oil lamp.
"Yes." Keshav was so used to it, that he hadn't noticed it. But it was a new scent for Rohan who inhaled the salty air as if tasting it.
"Interesting," he said. "Almost as interesting as you."
Keshav felt his cheeks on fire under the prince's burning stare. He cleared his throat.
"Good night, Rohan," he said a little bluntly.
"Good night, Keshav. Don't worry, I won't force myself on you while you sleep!"
"You can always try." Keshav scowled before blowing out the lamp. He heard Rohan chuckle in the dark.
"That would be an interesting challenge," the prince said. "Sweet dreams."
"G' night," he muttered, rolling over to sleep.
***
Rohan stared worried at the ships lolling in the waves. Even the sea with its foam and whitecaps looked dangerous. Who could control all that water? Where was the other shore? On the map he had seen there was land beyond, since both Nalach and Hurlevent were on the same, huge bay... but there was nothing in sight.
Seagulls screamed over his head, gliding on the water or on land. The breeze was cool on the sandy beach, but he felt uncomfortable as he stared at Babita, standing on the wooden pier, talking to ship captains.
Prince heirs got to travel to the other kingdoms. Their brothers or cousins didn't go around much. He and Dilip had never left Godwalkar and even though Nalach was still in Gajendra, it felt like an alien place. Even though people dressed like in Godwalkar and spoke the same language.
Rohan sighed. He had learned to travel on foot, to shave, he could learn to travel by ocean-faring ships. He glanced at Keshav, standing next to him, lost in thought. That was someone who came from far away! Well, at least Keshav's father had come from far away.
His admiration for the scholar grew with every passing day. Keshav might not know how to wield a sword, but he knew everything about swords. He had told him the history of swords, and the various shapes and...
Rohan smiled and caressed the hilt of his weapon. Babita said the northerners used straight swords like his, but theirs weren't double-edged with the blade swelling towards the point as far as she could tell.
The other southern kingdoms used curved blade sabers – talwar, saif, shamshir, kilig – or scimitars, but Amrendra also had an almost straight sword with forward-curved blade in the shape of a lily petal.
Of course this knowledge didn't allow Keshav to actually use those weapons... but it had been fun to listen to those stories. Keshav was as interesting as Aagney when he spoke of the things he'd studied. Otherwise he was quiet and serious, but Rohan thought there was a sweetness in him that made him want to hold the scholar tight.
I'm a grown man! I won't beg anyone to love me!
He glanced at Keshav's profile. They were the same height and Rohan crossed his arms on his chest to stop himself from stroking Keshav's shoulder-length raven hair.
He looked at Babita again. She was coming back towards them.
"Good, let's get done with this!" Rohan muttered.
"Are you still worried?" Keshav asked him.
"I've been on river barges. I've swum against the current in Godwalkar. But this..." His hands whipped out again and waved at the ocean. "This seems too much to handle!"
"And it's quiet today," Keshav said. "It can be much worse when a tempest hits."
"Don't scare him, Keshav," Babita chided, stopping in front of them. "We leave with the evening tide. No tempests in sight, don't worry, this is a coast with a very calm sea."
Rohan took in a deep breath and stared at the ships again.
"So which one is our passage?"
"The one on the beach over there." She pointed at a couple that had their flat hulls partly on the sand.
"I thought they had sails?"
"They're setting up the mast and it will have a rectangular sail tonight, don't worry."
"I'm not worried."
"Just a little," she teased. "You can worry when you see the sailors worried."
"I'll keep it in mind, thank you, Babita."
"Keep your meals light," Keshav said as they headed back to the Jester for lunch. "You might be seasick if you eat too much."
Rohan had had his meat meal the previous night, so followed the scholar's advice and ate boiled halibut with lemon. He didn't even try the cabbage and beans the other two ordered.
As the second high waters rose, the three of them waded into low water that now covered the whole shallow-draft hull and climbed on a wooden gangway onto a longship. Rohan saw there was a dragon head sculpted both at the bow and the stern that were symmetrical. The mast had been set up at the center of the ship, with its rectangular sail already displayed.
He sat on one of the chests used as rowing benches. There were oars on each side and a steering oar at what was currently the stern. Rohan had no doubt that positions could be reversed without having to turn around the ship.
"Would you like to row?" Keshav asked him, sitting on another chest on the other side. "Might keep your mind off the rolling..."
It was a relatively small ship with only room for eight oars on each side. Babita went to sit near the steering row and the captain but both men didn't mind some exercise. Sailors sat near them and showed them how to properly handle the oars.
As the sun set behind the Central Massif, Rohan started enjoying the ride, having fallen into the rhythm. The captain switched on an oil lamp and soon they were in a current going north, with the wind pushing them, so they could relax.
Rohan was too excited to sleep, so he sat with Keshav and looked at the stars. A couple of sailors pointed out their own constellations and Rohan almost forgot there was a woman onboard. The camaraderie felt a lot like his evenings at the Lucky Snake, with Keshav posing as Abhilash.
Yawning, he put his head against Keshav's shoulder and curled up in the night's cold. The warm body of the scholar was very comfortable to lean against.
"Should I ask for a blanket?" Keshav asked, feeling him shiver.
"No, I'm fine..." he whispered, drifting off to sleep.
CHAPTER SIX
A week later the walls of Hurlevent came into view. Keshav was relieved to see them. It meant sleeping on the ground, in an inn and probably finding public baths again. Maybe the last for a while.
Rohan had proved himself a good sailor, or at least a good rower, and the physical exercise had kept him from feeling seasick. Both had wa
tched the coast slide by, greener and greener, and sometimes sending unknown smells to the ship.
They'd slept either onboard or on deserted beaches under the stars, eating the fish sailors caught on the way. And more often than not Rohan had curled up against him to sleep, but it hadn't been sexual. Maybe Keshav could try to consider Rohan a younger brother.
"I'm sure Rohan looks forward to his accursed meat," Babita said as the ship docked by a pier and they prepared to disembark.
"I'm hungry, fish doesn't really fill my belly," Rohan said.
"At least you were never seasick with those sea rations," Keshav teased him. Then he turned to Babita again. "Do you know an inn here?"
"Yes, I told you, I know the way up to Konigtown." She smiled. "And there are public baths. And barbers, if you want."
"We're good with doing it ourselves, aren't we, Rohan?"
The prince nodded and smiled. He had stubble by now, since neither of them had bothered shaving every day on the sea, but seemed eager to clean himself.
They got off the longship and headed for the town center. The town wasn't big, but it was enclosed in tall walls with round towers at regular intervals.
"What's with the double towers?" Keshav asked Babita.
"That's the gates," she answered, pointing down the street at the closest one. "East Gate number two near South Gate. There's another East Gate further up and one goes to the north."
No west gates, since the west was all on the sea shore. The gates had a portcullis with two gray towers. The stone of the walls obviously came from the Central Massif looming on the east.
"We're going out from North Gate, right?" Rohan asked.
She nodded, amused, and steered them towards the town center. The streets were wide and airy, paved with the same gray stone of the walls, and most buildings that had small backyards, and the salty air from the sea made Keshav almost feel back home. The town thrived on fishing and trading spices from the south, but Babita assured they also had venison from a nearby forest – Rohan could taste animals he'd never heard of.
There were fountains and marketplaces and the language sounded different. Keshav strained to understand it. It definitely wasn't Gallian.
Quests Volume Two Page 16