The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

  02

  The Assembly was breaking up. The ship city was once more just clumps of ships rather than long lines of them, as the ships with the most distant trade routes left first to be in port for the resumption of trade after the long holiday. Gangs with long poles gathered under the departing ships to help launch them into the air high enough to clear the surrounding ships. Booths and stands were being dismantled and the crowds in the streets grew sparse. Most of the overheard conversations were looking ahead - talk about trading prospects, the new family alliances, and farewells.

  I tagged along as Cin stopped to buy her favorite treats - sticky, savory and smoked lizard meat on sticks, and in buns, plus pickled vegetables and dried herb and put them in a pouch to bring them back with us. Having won the day's little domestic dispute, Cin was back to her confident, cheerful, and sarcastic self - a mood I tried to match. If our status had become common knowledge, no one showed any sign of it. They paid no more attention to us than they always had, which is to say, none at all. So we drifted unnoticed through the encampment as before. Nothing seemed different.

  Yet I couldn't shake the feeling we shouldn't be here. Siss had drifted off to visit her own friends. I kept a wary eye on everyone around us, watching for shadows. I hoped Cin, despite her carefree attitude, was doing the same.

  She had just purchased a stick of smoke blackened lizard meat, and turned back down the street when we saw, standing in the lane, a tall, dark Temtre with his arm in a sling staring intently at us. He had two kinsmen at his side, little doubt survivors from our last encounter. We'd rather forgotten about Clan-chief EnVey. He apparently hadn't forgotten about us. Having caught our gaze, he, along with his burly kinsmen, strode forward to confront us. I slipped my hand into my hidden pocket and grasped my sissy. This was not exactly what I'd warned Cin about, but it was in keeping with the spirit of my argument. She stopped and watched him approach with her coolest, collected indifference, even arrogance.

  He stepped close and then stiffly bowed to Cin.

  'Please allow me to extend my sincere apology for my indefensible behavior when we last met. I fear drink made me not my true self. I say that not to excuse my actions, only to explain them. I accept full responsibility for my shameful behavior. Please feel free to take whatever actions you decide is proper to make amends, without fear of any consequences. Break both my legs, as I would have seen done to you, if you choose. My friends will not object. I have been making my amends to all that I have offended, and my first mate here, TaFin, has a pouch of coins, if you would prefer coins to broken bones.'

  Cin nodded coolly. 'Neither broken bones nor coins are necessary. Your apology is sufficient. I was, after all, not harmed at all,' she added with her wicked smile.

  He looked at her wondering. And then, with a smile, said, 'Which makes my apology all the more necessary. I should not care to have you as an enemy. I hope, however, that you'll accept that I sincerely regret my actions. My family has two great flaws. The first is that the men in the family become mean, angry and foolhardy when in drink. And the second is a weakness for drink when our patience is at its end, as it usually is by the end of the Assembly. They are the two black dragons I must carry on my shoulders, and sometimes they get the best of me. Again, I offer this only as an explanation, not as an excuse for my actions.'

  'It is in the past Clan-chief, let us put it behind us. I, too, have dark flaws from my heritage, so I can hardly fault you for yours.'

  His grin widened. "Generosity, my lady, is not something missing in your inheritance. Thank you,' and turning to me, he wiped the smile off his face and said gravely. 'As for you, sir, I am willing to accept your apologies for the destruction of my arm. My healer is doubtful that I shall ever recover the full strength of it. I shall have to, at great inconvenience, learn how to shoot and wield a sword with my right hand. Still, I am willing to put revenge aside, if you are willing to sincerely apologize.'

  He may've been kidding. And may not've been. Still, "safety first" being my motto, I said, 'I regret any permanent damage I may've have done to your arm. At the time, I was only concerned about defending my wife.' (Wife being a presumption on my part, but blame it on the Temtre language that had no exact equivalent of what the term "partner" covered in the Nebula. I'd a feeling I'd hear from Cin about that later.) 'And, of course, saving my own life in the most expediently way possible - without killing you,' I added with what I hoped was a bloodthirsty enough grin. 'It was however only meant to end the fight as quickly as possible, not with malice, so I can, and do apologize if it should, indeed, result in the inconvenience of learning how to fence right handed.'

  He studied me for a second or two, considered what I'd said, and decided to accept it. He smiled, bowed ever so slightly, and offered his hand.

  We clasped wrists, Temtre style.

  'Perhaps we might even be friends,' he said. 'Your name?'

  'Captain Wil Litang. Captain Canary is Naylea's little joke. And I'd prefer friendship to being enemies,' I replied. Sober, he seemed a pleasant enough fellow. Indeed, he had confounded my expectations with his attitude and actions.

  He turned to Cin and with an inviting smile, offered his hand. 'I hope we are friends, as well.'

  'Since both you and my husband...' this with a darting sarcastic glance at me, as she grasped his wrist,'...are willing to put the unpleasantness of the past astern, we would be delighted to count you as a friend.'

  'Wonderful!' he beamed. 'The other affronts could be settled with coins, which is of no matter to me. My actions against you were of a much graver matter, ones I feared, might not be settled amicably. I'm very happy that we can put the past behind us. You can count Raf EnVey a new and good friend. Now, however, I must leave you, for I still have many amends to make, but I hope we shall cross courses again some day, and I want to assure you that you can count on me to stand by you in any need. Fair winds my Lady, Captain,' and with this he bowed, joined his kinsmen, and went his way with a swinging stride.

  I looked at Cin. 'A strange fellow.'

  'As your wife, it is my duty to agree with my husband,' she said with a wicked smile, but with no malice. She knew the language as well as I.

  'Somehow, my dear, I find myself skeptical of your commitment to that duty.'

  'Someday, my dear. Someday. Once in a while.'

  'I'm eagerly looking forward to it. But having dodged one asteroid, may I suggest you collect your samples so we can lift while we still can.'