by Garry Spoor
“She’s a cruel, vicious woman,” he said with a grin as he glanced in her direction. “She’ll pull ya under in a heartbeat if ya don’t mind ya manners, but if ya kind to her and heed her song, she can take ya places ya could only dream of.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Kile said. “It’s so… I don’t know.”
“Aye, ’tis hard to describe. I’ve been sailing these waters most of me life, and I still can’t put into words the emptiness and the wonder of the sea.”
“I think you just did.”
“No, you have to know her song to know her.”
“Her song? She has a song?”
If the sea was singing, Kile couldn’t hear it.
“Everything has a song. The land, the sea, the birds. Once ya learn their songs, you’ll truly understand.”
“So, do you know her… song?”
“Not all of it, not yet anyway. A few words, a melody here, a tune there, but I have yet to hear the whole song.”
“How long have you been sailing?”
The old man laughed. “Longer than most. Not as long as some. I was a wet-nosed little kid when I first set sail. I couldn’t have seen more than twelve summers. Started as a cabin boy on the Lusian, worked me way up to second mate under old Olsen until we hit a reef up at Mire’s Coast. After which I jumped from ship to ship. I was a boatswain on the Cortella where I first met Gundersen. He was captain of the Charlotte at the time and took me on as his quartermaster.”
“So… what happened to him?”
Dotol sighed and shook his head. “He did not heed the song.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“We were going through the maelstrom and he got careless. Never saw the yardarm give way.”
“The maelstrom?”
“Aye, far off, beyond the Custodians, ya be seeing the maelstrom yourself, before this journey is through.”
Somehow, that wasn’t too comforting.
The captain pushed himself away from the rail. “Don’t be staring too long at the sea. I’ve seen it drive more than one landlubber into madness.”
That, she could believe.
Kile decided to heed his warning. Turning away from the rail, she headed off to find Daniel. The search didn’t take too long since there weren’t too many places he could go. She found him, along with Eafer, Awald, and a few other sailors in what appeared to be the dining hall. It was a small room, about twenty foot square, with a single large table running the length.
“Hey, Kile. You get hungry after all?” Daniel called out from the far side of the table. He had a large bowl of something in front of him, and by the way he was digging into it, one would think he hadn’t eaten in weeks. “Come on, you gotta try this.”
“What is it?” she asked when she sat down beside him.
“You know, I’m not quite sure, but it’s not half bad.”
It always amazed her how some people could eat something and not know what it was. It had to be a guy thing, she thought, as she watched him shovel the food in his mouth. All she could make out was that it was some kind of stew, with chunks of meat and vegetables, all in a light gravy.
“I think I’ll pass,” she said.
“You’re not still feeling sick, are you?”
“No… I’m fine.” She turned away from him. His table manners were atrocious.
“Is there something wrong with my cooking?”
The voice came from above her. Kile leaned back while looking up. Standing over her was a dark-skinned giant. The man was enormous and quite intimidating. He crossed his thick arms over his chest and stared down at her. He was bald, had a gold hoop dangling from one ear, and a long thin beard, which was braided.
“You got a problem with my cooking?” he asked again in a deep, rumbling voice.
“Ah… no… no problem here,” Kile squeaked.
“Then why aren’t you eating?”
This was when things usually got tricky.
“Well… you see… it’s only that… I’m a vegetarian.”
The last part of her reply came out so softly, she wasn’t even sure she said it, and she may have only mouthed the words.
The cook’s eyes narrowed, and being they were small to begin with, almost disappeared.
“Follow me.”
It was one of those commands you obeyed without questioning.
Kile slowly rose from her seat and looked to Daniel for support, but her friend diverted his eyes and concentrated on the bowl in front of him, which was now empty. She would gain no help there.
The cook waved her into the kitchen. It wasn’t much larger than the dining room and seemed even smaller when he joined her. She was sure the man could easily reach any place in the room without having to move from the center of the floor.
Kile found herself squeezed up beside one of the cabinets.
“Vegetarian?” he said in a voice that didn’t sound approving. Slowly nodding, he turned his back to her. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but when he turned around he was holding a small clay bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. He held them both out to her. She reluctantly accepted them.
“What is it?” she asked nervously.
“Try it.”
Again, it was one of those commands.
Taking the spoon, she started pushing the contents of the bowl around but found no sign of meat, only thick leafy greens. The smell was quite pleasant too and seemed to have rejuvenated her appetite. She dipped the spoon into the broth and tasted it. It had a strong, unique flavor, one that was hard to describe.
“This is very good,” she said, taking another mouthful.
The giant smiled. “Goomjok,” he said.
Kile paused between mouthfuls. She wasn’t sure how to respond. Was he trying to introduce himself, or tell her what she was eating? She had a fifty-fifty chance. She pointed to the bowl.
“Goomjok?” she asked.
The giant laughed. “I am glad you enjoy it. It is quite common in Obraia, but you are the first Aruvian I’ve met who actually likes it.”
And now for the dreaded questions she knew she shouldn’t ask.
“What is it?”
“Seaweed,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Kile shrugged and continued eating. She figured by the way he said seaweed and the look on his face, it was something usually shunned by Aruvians, but she couldn’t figure out why. It was yet another form of leafy vegetation, like lettuce or cabbage. She finished the bowl and handed it back to the cook, who smiled.
“Are you sure you’re not from Balaa?” he asked.
“I’m afraid not. I’m from the Shia Province. My name is Kile, Kile Veller, by the way.”
“I know. I am Lothran of Obraia.”
He ladled her out another bowl and one for himself.
“So, what are you doing out here?”
“I wish I knew,” she answered. “At the moment, I’m along for the ride.”
The cook frowned and shook his head. “Shenataesi is not a place to take lightly.”
Kile stopped eating and stared at the giant. “You know Shenataesi?”
“I have heard stories, bad stories about the island. They say it is evil, that it is cursed, and that only madness lives there now.”
“Wonderful. My first sea voyage and I’m heading to the cursed island of madness. I knew I should have made a break for it when I had the chance.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I wish I knew. For some unexplainable reason, I feel I have to go there. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some answers.”
“With the gods’ blessings, may that be all you find.”
~~~***~~~
After a hearty meal of seaweed soup and a long talk with Lothran, Kile sought out a quiet place on the bow of the ship where she could not only watch the sea but the sailors as well. She had to admit, life on a ship was confusing. She had no idea what anyone was doing or if they were actually doing anything. Sometimes the
sailors stood around, staring out at the water, other times they were running around, pulling on ropes that didn’t seem to go anywhere. At least they were making good time, or at least they were moving.
It wasn’t only the sailors she was watching. Heaney, Boraro, and Creech decided to come up for some fresh air. The three men isolated themselves alongside one of the longboats and were engaged in a heated discussion. Even though Kile wasn’t that far away, with the wind blowing across the bow she couldn’t make out what they were saying. All she knew was Master Heaney didn’t agree with either Master Boraro or Master Creech, but she had no idea what he didn’t agree with. At one point, Creech even got into Heaney’s face and had to be held back by Boraro. Imagine Master Boraro being the voice of reason.
Through waving hands, Kile couldn’t help but notice the ring on each man’s finger. It was a simple green gemstone set in a silver band. When Kile graduated the Academy, she was also given one of those rings. It was the mark of the Hunter, a way for them to recognize one another. Unfortunately, Kile had lost hers two years ago when she was captured by the valrik. Although she couldn’t prove it, she would swear the gemstone on each of the men’s rings was of a different shade of green. They were darker. The last time she had seen gems of that shade were on the hands of the Hunters who tried to arrest her, and they were connected to the Sons of Terrabin. Was she imagining it, or were the Sons also using the rings to recognize one another? And if that was the case, did it mean Heaney was also a follower of Terrabin?
“So, what are you and Vesper doing up here on the forecastle?” Daniel asked as he climbed up the ladder to join them. He flopped down alongside her and scratched the yarrow’s head.
“The what?” she asked.
“The forecastle. This is the forecastle deck,” he explained.
Kile sighed. There he goes again, she thought. Throwing around nautical terms to impress her. She was sure he was making most of them up.
“And I assume that’s the aftcastle deck,” she said, pointing to the far side of the ship where the driver was standing.
“No.” Daniel laughed. “That’s the poop deck.”
Kile turned and looked at him. “Yeah, right, now I know you’re lying.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“Please, you don’t know anything about ships. You’re making it all up.”
“No, I swear, I’m telling you the truth. Ask any of the sailors if you don’t believe me, or better yet, ask Captain Dotol.”
“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you? You simply want to see me make a fool of myself.”
“Fine, don’t believe me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to,” she said and started to turn away from him before stopping. “Do you still have your ring?” she asked.
“My what?”
“Your ring, your graduation ring.”
“Yeah, of course I do.”
“Let me see it.”
“Why, it’s the same as yours.”
“I lost mine when I was taken into the wastelands by the valrik. Don’t you remember? They tried to use it to frame me.”
“You didn’t get it back.”
“Would I be asking you if I did? Let me see your ring.”
Daniel sighed and held out his hand. Kile examined the stone, turning it this way and that, trying to catch the light despite Daniel’s protests. No matter which way she turned it, it was the same shade of green as Heaney’s, which meant she had imagined it after all. With a disapproving look, she dropped his hand.
“What’s the matter?” Daniel asked.
“Nothing.”
She was sure their rings were darker, but if they were, so was Daniel’s, which would make Daniel one of the Sons, and since he wasn’t, she must have imagined the whole thing. Was she making more of it than it actually was? If only she hadn’t lost hers, she would know for certain. Kile looked down at the ring on her finger. It once belonged to the king. She’d tried returning it to Roland on two separate occasions and both times he refused it. She only hoped it being on her finger wasn’t putting ideas in his head. Was she making more of that than it actually was?
Kile turned forward, letting the wind blow in her face. The cold air set her mind at ease. It wasn’t the same as flying, but it was as close as she was going to get.
“Well, I’m going down below.” Daniel got to his feet. “You coming?”
“I’ll be along in a moment,” she said. The last thing she wanted was to go downstairs, where the ship smelled of moldy wood and the gentle rocking only reminded her how much she hated sailing.
9
Kile didn’t exactly sleep at night. It was more like having brief naps broken up by long periods of staring at the ceiling. It seemed as though every time she closed her eyes, the ship would unexpectedly lurch or sway or make some other movement that woke her up. If that wasn’t bad enough, the walls of their sleeping quarters, otherwise known as the hull of the ship, wouldn’t stop moaning. It was a constant reminder that a thin wall of wood was holding back the whole sea. During the day, while sitting on the deck, feeling the wind blowing through her hair and watching the seagulls play, she thought only about seeing the world and sailing to exotic locations. At night, it was quite a different story. Sleeping in the cold, damp bowels of the ship, waiting for the dawn, the only thing she could think about was getting as far away from the ocean as possible. How she longed for dry land.
Apart from the not being able to sleep and the bouts of seasickness, the worst part of sailing was the complete lack of privacy. She thought being the only female cadet at the Academy was bad. At least there, the cadets were spread out over a large campus and she had her own cell to retreat to. On the Charlotte, she was cooped up with thirty men on a sixty-foot boat. Fortunately, Captain Dotol took pity on her and allowed her the use of his private facilities. Still, she had to share a room with five men, and even though she knew and trusted them, it was still a little uncomfortable.
Kile lay back in her hammock, which was also something that took a little getting used to, and closed her eyes. By her calculations, dawn couldn’t be that far off. One more short nap, she thought, that’s all. One more short nap and she will have made it through another night. That was until someone started shaking her.
“Come on, get up,” Daniel shouted.
“Are you kidding? I was just falling asleep.” She rubbed her eyes. Somehow the room looked a little brighter. Did she actually make it through another night?
“Come on, you gotta see this,” Daniel said and ran out of the room.
Kile yawned, stretched, and fell out of bed. Hammocks, she thought. They were definitely going on the list of things she hated, right under magic, sailing, and Master Boraro.
“Come on, Vesper.” She picked herself up off the floor. “Let’s go see what’s so important.”
The yarrow quickly climbed into the courier’s bag before Kile grabbed it from the hook on her way to the door. By the time she reached the deck, the sailors were in full panic mode. Captain Dotol was barking out orders from his place on the aft deck, while members of the company were preoccupied with something out at sea.
“Are we there already?” she asked when she approached the rail. Surely the voyage was going to take longer than two days, but who was she to complain.
“Hardly,” Eafer answered. He pointed to the west. “We’re about to pass through the Custodians.”
Kile looked in the direction the soldier was pointing, and what she saw was unbelievable. Large rocks, like fingers, rose out of the ocean. They stretched across the horizon as far as she could see, evenly spaced, just wide enough for the ships to pass between. Each Custodian was about twenty feet in diameter and over eighty feet high. Rising vertically out of the water they towered over the Charlotte. Not even the mainmast escaped the shadows of the stone monoliths. Everyone held their breaths while the ship maneuvered through the narrow opening. They were now beyond the Starlett Sea
“They’re in
credible,” Kile remarked. “Where did they come from?”
“Nobody knows,” Eafer said. “For the longest time, they marked the outer edge. No sailor would cross them. They used to believe they were put in place to keep the sea monsters out.”
“Sea monsters? Are there truly sea monsters beyond the Starlett Sea?” Kile asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” Awald said. “My family has been sailing these waters for several generations, and so far, none have been eaten by a sea monster.”
“Ya shouldn’t be joking about such things,” Captain Dotol said as he crossed the deck toward them. “The sea has many a mystery she has yet to reveal. There are many notes to the song she has yet to sing.”
“Let us hope the song she sings during our voyage is a pleasant one,” Heaney added.
“Aye, may it be. I think we could all do with a quiet song from here on out,” Dotol said. “May the Custodian watch over our voyage and welcome us home soon.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Eafer added.
“Nonsense,” Boraro scoffed. “Singing water, sea monsters, Custodians. Personally, I think it’s all a load of crap.”
“Then what is ya reason for the presence of the Custodians, Master Boraro?” Dotol asked.
Stepping back from the rail, Boraro turned to face the captain. “They serve no reason than to scare weak-minded sailors and should be torn down.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite agree with you, sir,” Elmac interjected. “The reason for the Custodians has yet to be discovered. To have them, as you would say, torn down, without knowing their true worth or purpose would be a great disservice. We should, at least, understand their role first.”
“They are nothing more than an obstacle that should be overcome, not worshiped.”
“And how would you go about tearing something such as the Custodians down?” Elmac asked.
“Send a bunch of mystics to do it,” Boraro said. “At least you’ll be doing something worthwhile, instead of hiding in your Tower.”
“I assure you, Master Boraro, we mystics do not hide in our Tower. The research we do benefits everyone. Besides, the mystics of the Tower are not in the habit of destroying historical monuments.”