by C. Litka
01
We were in Harave anchorage, the off-shore island port of Frisenue, near the end of my first circuit of islands aboard the Telrai Peaks, when Hissi and I spied the colorfully carved and decorated Temtre ship tied up to a small quay against the lush green of the island's jungle, as we were slowly putting around the small island in a hired launch.
'What do you say?' I said to Hissi, who with a claw on my shoulder, was staring at the ship as intently as I. 'Dare we rely on my gold token?'
She gave a low, tentative bark. I wasn't feeling any more confident myself in the token DeKan had given me, supposedly the secret sign that I was an agent of the Clan. Still, I didn't think they would just up and murder me for coming alongside? So I swung the bow of the boat inwards towards the Temtre ship.
'Remember, Hissi, you're a Temtre Simla. You're Clan, even if I'm not. You may find your parents, or a brother or sister on board.'
She gave another quiet bark that trailed off to a hiss.
'If you can charm ol'King, you needn't worry.'
She gave my shoulder a squeeze with her sharply clawed hand and stood a little straighter, next to me.
'What do you want?' called out one of Temtres aboard the ship as I swung the launch alongside the closed gangway.
'To see your captain. On business,' I replied as we bumped against the grating. I grabbed hold and flashed him the gold token with the other.
'What business?' he asked suspiciously as he gave Hissi a long, thoughtful look and then back to me. His eyes widened a little when it dawned on him who I was. I, in turn, recognized him as well - not by name, but by his black outfit - uncommon amongst the more colorfully dressed Temtres. I suspected that we'd met before.
'Is Clan-chief EnVey aboard?' I ventured.
He actually smiled, which in a Temtre, is not always a good thing. 'What are you doing here? Word was that you were going home,' he said as he unlatched the gangplank gate.
'I decided to stay,' I said simply as I handed him a line to tie up the bumboat and then leaped across the narrow gap to the ship, once he'd moved aside. 'Is the Clan-chief aboard?'
'Aye. And I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you.' This with another, somewhat unnerving grin.
He led me forward to the captain's suite in the ship's bow, knocked and called out, 'You've got visitors, Captain.'
Hissi gave a low hiss behind me. I looked back to see that two Simla dragons swimming into view. The three of them were staring at each other, no doubt deep in conversation.
'My friend here is one of your clan. I was given her as an egg on Blade Island. She's Clan,' I said out loud, just to smooth Hissi's introduction, if I could.
The door opened and EnVey stepped out, as tall, handsome, and elegant as ever. He stared at me for a second, trying to place me. But only for a second.
'Why it's Captain Wil...' he said, breaking into a wide smile. He was sober.
'Aye, Wil Litang,' I said, returning the smile, 'At your service.'
'Of course...' he said, offering his hand.
I grasped his wrist and he winced, theatrically, and laughed.
'I trust you've made a full recovery,' I said.
'Well, I'm now quite ambidextrous,' he allowed. 'I only feel the wound in thick clouds. Still, it's an island astern. Come in, come in. What brings you to the Wind Drifter, my friend? Indeed, what brings you to the Dontas? I thought you were to sail for your home islands, far, far away.'
'That may've been Naylea's idea. But I decided otherwise. I felt our differences could be resolved - if I gave her enough time.'
'Five hundred rounds?'
'You can't be too careful? But I've only recently got a berth that will allow me to start searching. What I'd like to do is either find the Talon Hawk or get word to DeKan,' I said as we stepped into EnVey's dim-lit cabin. Hissi stayed outside, now content to be with her kind, and perhaps her kin.
'DeKan usually sails amongst the fringe islands - though as Clan-king he goes where he chooses. My clan trades amongst the main islands, so we usually don't cross courses as a rule.'
'I have a letter for him. Do you think you could find a way to pass it along to him before the next gathering?'
'A letter? Yes, that should work. We do pass along posts, ship to ship, though I can't say when it would reach him, or how long it might take to receive his reply.'
'That is all that I expect, Clan-chief. I must take my chances as slim as they are.'
'Your lady is worth every chance, as I know well, no matter how slim. The price of the post is your story, my friend. I can offer you only tey, I'm afraid. You know my weakness...'
'Tey would be welcome. I'm quite fond of it...'
I spent several hours talking to EnVey. I told him my tale, not only because he was eager to hear it, and pleasant company with which to share it, but because I needed his good will not only to have a chance of contacting DeKan, but because I wanted to establish a good standing with the Temtres. We departed friends.
As the EnVey clan traded amongst the major islands of the Dontas, we crossed courses a dozen times during those 1,879 rounds I spent sailing the Dontas aboard the Telrai Peaks - and ships of his clan a dozen more, each time leaving a letter for DeKan.
As for Hissi, having established her heritage, she would be swirling around me impatiently, anxious to be off in a hired launch searching every anchorage for any Temtre ships that might be in port so that she could, I presume, catch up on all the gossip. And to be fair, she may well have been looking for her parents and other kin as well, so at every port of call, we'd go off searching for any Temtre ships that might be in the anchorage - first chance we had to get off ship.
It was, however, EnVey who brought back DeKan's reply to my letter.