by Guy Antibes
~
Namen
Bloggo helped Namen out of the local healer’s house to look down at the bay. He saw the ship that held the female mage nearly reaching the bottleneck of the bay. He could see a little cloud that seemed to follow the ship.
“See, Bloggo? The wind is even in their favor. I can try to blow it back,” the mage said. He gathered in what breath he could to strengthen his concentration and pointed his wand at the ship.
The ship’s sails started to flail and then he felt the flash of a counter spell and the sails filled again. The ship continued on with the woman aboard. He could feel her power, but the counter spell?
He shook his head. “Another mage? This one has a familiar feel, like a power I’ve felt in Magia. I’m sure of it, but much less strong than the woman. More questions, my brother. Now they go to Taxia and I must follow her there. Three women and one of them defeats me.” Namen tilted his head as he put his hand on Bloggo’s shoulder, “and one of them defeats you. Will wonders never cease? I need to rest, help me back in.”
~
Norra
Norra lay on her bed in the captain’s cabin. The wizard hadn’t threatened any of her party, while she ambushed him. Cloud floated in the middle of the room, sliding through an open window.
“Don’t worry about him. I believe he means you ill. He cut a swath through Nastaly Port trying to reach you and he’d do the same here at Plover’s Beach except, of course, that there are no wizards to cut a swath through in Plover’s Beach.”
Norra didn’t know what to make of Cloud. He generally played with his words as a cat might play with a ball of wool. The ship lurched as it changed course, interrupting her thought.
Cloud shook and assumed a hazy form of a man and pointed in the direction of the port. The boat swayed a bit and then resumed its pace.
“What was that?” she said as Cloud assumed his usual round form. “And what did you just do, turning into the shape of a man?”
“I, uh, turned back the mage’s spell. That’s why I had to change my shape. “
“You are a wizard!” Norra said.
“I wouldn’t exactly call a cloud a wizard, but I know a few spells, as you found out today. The mage was well enough to try to change the wind to force us back to Plover’s Beach. I know the winds as well as they know me and we joined forces to blow the man down.”
“Blow him down?”
“An expression only. I’m sure in his condition, if it was as bad as it looked when his manservant took him to a healer, he’s probably back in bed by now. That spell takes a lot out of a mage.”
“But you’re a sort of wizard.” Norra squinted her eyes at Cloud. He was not being forthright with her. “Why aren’t you tired?”
“How do you know that I’m not? I look the same if I’m tired or not.”
He did have a point, Norra thought. “Okay. But he did look mendable?”
“Mendable. What a charming way of putting it, Norra. “ Cloud emitted a laugh. She couldn’t see a face and decided that perhaps it was better that way. “Yes. If he has the strength to throw that spell, he’ll mend.”
~~~~
Chapter Eight
Sword Dancing
~
Lily
The deck rose and fell with the waves while Lily watched Norra practice in the sun. She lifted her head towards the warmth and let the light soak her soul. What was she doing here with her new friends? Delia and Norra had money and family and dressed nicely. All she had was her skill with the sword and her wits. Was one more important that the other? She shook her head to get out of her reverie. Such thoughts inevitably led to depression because she couldn’t find an answer.
She saw Norra put out her foot and trip Clint. She quickly pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Norra could probably take on most common soldiers, by now, and perhaps the time had arrived for her to spar with her friend.
Clint picked himself up and headed towards her. He rubbed his neck and looked back as Norra walked past him and disappeared within the captain’s cabin.
“She’s becoming much too good, for a lady. Present company excluded, of course.” He gave her a little bow, and quite uncharacteristic for sailors and more characteristic of the rogues she had known in the past.
“So what’s your history, Clint?” She looked into his eyes and tried to divine what kind of man this sailor was. He stood above Norra in height and was well muscled. She would have been attracted to him, but something about his eyes reminded her too much of her last partner.
“Oh, I’ve bounced around. I’ve been a soldier, a caravan guard in Taxia, and, since I grew up in a fishing village on the other side of Nastaly Port, I’ve always an expert seaman.”
Lily wondered if his ‘soldiering’ was the same kind of activity that Norra plucked her from. She stretched and looked at the faint line of Polda’s coast over Clint’s shoulder.
“Really? A caravan guard in Taxia, eh? None of us have been to Taxia and the captain’s never been further out into the country. Perhaps we can go to our quarters and talk for a while. That would be better than swabbing the deck.”
The thoughts of more time away from the drudgery of daily seamanship should lure him into telling more of what they needed to survive on their way to the mysterious Pass. “Come.” Lily didn’t wait for him to join her as she walked towards the stern of the ship.
She knocked at their door. “I’m bringing in Clint.”
“Count to thirty and then come in,” Norra said from behind the door.
Lily only made it to twenty and she barely saw Gristan disappear when she threw open the door.
“Come in, Clint.” Lily looked back at the sailor and then stepped into the cabin.
“Our little sticking board, here, guarded caravans in Taxia. I thought it a good idea that we talk to him about it.” Lily took a seat, folded her arms and let Norra start.
Norra looked back and the hint of mist showed at the bottom of the cabin’s rear windows. The smell of the sea blew through the room as Clint began.
“Taxia is a harsh land. That’s why I’m back onboard a ship. A body can get himself killed if he don’t know what’s going on.”
“Do you know your way around?” Norra asked.
“I do, having made lots of trips all the way to the Pass.”
“I’ve never been to Taxia. What Pass?” Norra said.
“The way to the land of the magicians. “ Clint put his hand to his chin and thought. “Magia, they call it. Most merchants know of the Pass, but there is the enchantment that makes people forget all about Magia.”
“Could you guide us there, if we paid you more than your pay here?” Lily said.
Norra turned her head to Lily and furrowed her brow. Lily didn’t care. She didn’t really trust Cloud, who came and went on a whim and even Gristan’s knowledge would be suspect. How did one trust a ghost? He wasn’t even alive. “Who’s going to get us to Magia? Cloud? We need another sword anyway.”
“No amount of money will lure me into that crazy place,” Clint said. The mages make people into slaves and that’s not for me. I’ll take you to the foot of the Pass. I’d like to accommodate you ladies, but I won’t go further.”
Lily wondered if this was about the time Norra would dump her. People she thought of as friends before had dumped her. It wouldn’t be anything new.
“Actually, as I see it, I do believe it’s a wonderful idea.” Norra smiled at Lily. “Thank you. I wouldn’t ever have thought of hiring a bodyguard.”
“Okay. So, if the captain will let you go at Torell Port, you’ll be part of our party,” Lily said.
Clint smiled and sat down while Norra continued, “But until then, don’t get any ideas. You’re still one of the sailors and you’re to help us practice self defense.”
Clint looked at Norra evenly and then gave Lily a grin. “I look forward to our mutual relationship.” He put his knuckle to his brow, bowed at Lily. She didn’t see and alternative and
from the look on Norra’s face, she didn’t either.
Norra took a deep breath and exhaled. “Now that that’s over with, let’s get down to knowing more about Taxia…”
~
Norra
The weather began to get worse, but Lily still held practice, even in the warm rain.
“That’s it, Norra. Keep your elbow in and move the sword with your wrist if you parry with a thin sword, it will help you move it through the air with more precision. “ Lily showed the technique again to Norra as they kept up their practicing. At the end of each day, Norra rubbed in the liniment she purchased from the captain at an exorbitant price. She could feel her muscles gaining more tone than she ever had at Bordon Forest.
Even Delia had shed most of the weight she put on during the flight south to Nastaly Port. The sun’s light made her look healthier than ever. Norra wondered if she looked as healthy as well. She certainly gained a tan on her arms. The captain didn’t have a mirror and they had to check out their looks at the ship’s bell.
She turned her attention on Lily, who looked the same as when the had met. Norra smiled and then clamped her lips as she went through more drills. The ship continued to roll and Norra used the ship’s movement as a weapon during their sparring. If the weather was too violent, they fought with sticks.
“You bested me!” Lily said, as she fell to the deck. “How did use your feet to trip me? I saw you do it with Clint.”
“One of our men at Bordon Forest was a great dancer and he taught me how. It was a men’s dance, so we had to practice when no one was looking. Once he told me that he could beat a man in a fight with his feet, without throwing a punch, so that’s what I do. As you said, swordsmanship is a bit of a dance. I just add in a few steps of my own. The circumstances must be right, but those are easy to spot.”
Lily’s eyes brightened and then they narrowed. “Is it a secret so you won’t share it with me?”
Norra laughed. “If it was a secret why would I just tell you? Let’s get Delia and I’ll teach both of you. “ She looked at Delia working with Clint. “But not Clint. For him, it will remain a secret so I’ll teach it to you in the cabin.”
“Time’s up, Clint,” Lily said. She turned to Delia. “Let us three have a bit of girl talk, eh?”
“Oh. We haven’t done that enough,” Delia clapped her hands and gave Clint a little bow with her head and ran to the cabin.
Clint looked forlorn.
“More sailor work?” Norra said with mock sympathy. He grunted and left them, walking down the hatch stairs to put away his sword.
“What are we going to talk about?” Delia said as the door to the cabin closed.
“I’m going to teach us all to dance. It’s a man’s dance so watch out where you practice it. Not on the deck or we might be asked to stop, okay?” Norra said and not continuing until both of her pupils nodded their heads.
“The dance is not as important as where it leads. Lily taught us how to do the dance of the swords, I’m going to teach you the dance of defense.” Norra began to teach Delia and Lily. They danced every other day and they all became better.
~
Cloud popped into the cabin while the girls were deep into their practice. “What are you up to, practicing to become temple maidens?”
Norra looked at him with her arms on her hips. “How would we know? There haven’t been any temple maidens ever since the Mages left Polda.”
“Hmm. I’m going to have to talk to my three hundred year old ghost friend and tell him that he misinformed me.” Cloud laughed and the others joined in.
The response unnerved Norra to realize that Cloud and Ghost had been or had access to people who had been alive then and she found it difficult to force a smile. But perhaps Cloud would be interested in what they learned. Gristan certainly provided them with commentary when he attended their practices and eventually practiced footwork with them.
“The dance of defense,” Gristan said. “It actually works. She took what I used to know of as the ‘stacker’s dance’ and turned into a way to trigger a number of tripping maneuvers.”
“So she’s never needed help?” Cloud moved a bit closer to Norra. “Why did you need to use Gristan to rescue Delia?”
“I wasn’t very good with a sword, then. Anyway, it only works in the right circumstances. It’s perfect for sword fighting, but if feet aren’t moving…” Delia shrugged her shoulders to signify it didn’t work.
“She’s right. We didn’t know where Delia was, so Gristan’s haunting was worth the effort,” Norra said.
“Ah. Good for soldiers, but not for fights in a tavern?” Cloud said. This time Norra did laugh at the thought of her fighting in a tavern and then remembered her first encounter with Fenning. “I met Fenning in, what I thought, was a fight in a coffee shop.”
“We did, didn’t we?” Delia looked at nothing as she remembered that fateful day. “Even I might get that innkeeper on the ground, now.” She raised her chin in pride and confidence and curled her fist and then beamed at them all.
“You’ll need all of that and more in Taxia. Hiring Clint as a guard might be a good thing to do. I flew over there and it’s as wild as ever.”
“Do you have any suggestions for when we get there?” Norra said. She didn’t have the experience or the knowledge to lead her group, but she refused to allow Clint to lead them.
“You can’t just say you’re going to the Pass. Three women, all alone? You’d be captured and sold for slaves in a blink of an eye. There are tribal communities starting about halfway. Perhaps you should buy a costume that mimics a tribal queen. One of you can wear that and the others can be bodyguards. It’s not uncommon for natives to have female warriors.”
Gristan rubbed his hands. “I’ve heard of women warriors of the Taxian desert. I once wanted to meet one.”
“Not now Gristan. Any attempt to seduce one and they’ll see right through you.” Cloud laughed alone at that one. “Sorry. “
Was that contrition? Norra thought that Cloud didn’t get enough reaction from others. She shook her head, but took a moment to think about Cloud’s idea.
Delia raised her hand, just as she had at Miss Poddy’s. “I’ll be the queen. I always wanted to be a princess, even though none exist in Polda anymore. Please, Norra?”
Norra looked around the room for approval. “All right Delia. You’re the queen, Lily and I will be guards and Clint will be our guide.”
“Perhaps he can be our love slave. I can put a golden collar around his neck and we can lead him with a golden chain. Maybe he can run around with his shirt off.” Delia beamed. Lily covered her face and began to shake. When Norra saw her laughing, she couldn’t help but join her.
Cloud and Gristan just stood as the girls continued to laugh and giggle. Gristan achieved a crooked grin. “Perhaps the queen’s guards might have to run around without their blouses on, eh?”
Cloud broke out in laughter. “Quite so, Gristan. I can see it now.”
That stopped Norra and she glared at Cloud.
“Ahem. We arrive at the port in three or four days. Perhaps my time might be better spent concentrating on the port.” Cloud threaded out a tendril of mist and followed it out.
Norra felt ashamed at forcing Cloud out. She really didn’t have to glare, but the two men, or whatever, had crossed the line. She could tell that Cloud was withholding something and she couldn’t find a polite way to find out what.
~~~~
Chapter Nine
Queen of the Laputs
~
Torell Port shimmered in the desert heat as the winds blew from the west, flowing across the hot sands throughout the year. Norra wondered what trials she might face going over the Pass and into Magia, as the ship navigated along a breakwater that ran from one side of the bay to the opening at the other. She felt fit and prepared for danger, but what kind of danger? Fenning wasn’t here to whisper spells in her ear. She could defeat Clint, but what if there were three or four ‘
Clints’ facing her? The unknown frightened her. She breathed in the salty air and wondered what other kinds of smells would assault her before she reached the Mage’s tower.
Buildings were golden in the early morning light. Domes popped out from the tops of houses with thick walls that sat like cubes stacked up the sides of the Four Hills of the city. In front of the hills, bright colored buildings, tall and thin and short and squat, looked like an arrangement of children’s building blocks. At the top of the highest hill, she saw the Port Administrator’s palace. The crenellated walls were painted pink and clashed with the pale blue palace buildings that were crowned with a number of golden domes.
The wind shifted and brought with it the hot smells of the city. Some wafts smelled of human misery and some carried the spices and fragrances of exotic meats and vegetables cooking, perhaps from the houses up in the hills.
Wide roads led from the bases of the Four Hills toward gates she could barely see on the other side of cut out passes between the hills. One of those would carry her out of the port and to her destination. She had to make an effort to remember what she was here for. Her magic seemed a distant memory, but a real one. Would the mage she injured at Plover’s Beach still be on her trail? Perhaps Cloud could tell her. With a bit of luck, he might have given up the chase and returned to the pursuit of rogue wizards.
She barked out a laugh. Was she a rogue wizard, dressed in black leather pants and vest? Lily stepped on the deck with her bags. Now Norra looked a lot more like a long-haired version of Lily than like a former student of Miss Poddy’s. Her blouse ruffled in the Taxian wind from beneath her vest. Clint insisted that Delia be veiled as they stepped from the ship. There were eyes and ears everywhere in Torell Port and one couldn’t be too careful.
Lily walked up to her. “I’m excited. My shipboard experiences were nice, but I’m ready to eat some real meat, fresh bread and vegetables after four weeks of hard bread and whatever else the cook put in the pot. I’m sure the ship has less vermin running around after our voyage than before.”
“Don’t say that!” Norra said. She shivered. “I’ve been very successful at ignoring what’s in the food and more than happy to be able to keep it down after those first few days.”