“Ye want to drive for a bit?” asked Rubin.
Kazin looked around. “You mean me?”
“I weren’t talkin’ to the wind,” said Rubin, smiling.
“What do I do?” asked Kazin.
Max opened the hatch leading to the deck. Kazin wasn’t in his bunk, so he must have come outside. He scanned the ship and found him behind the wheel with Rubin. So that’s what he was up to! He went and joined them.
“Who said you could have all the fun?” he chided Kazin. “Next time, let me know when you do something interesting!”
“You want a turn?” asked Kazin. “My arms are tired anyhow.” He switched off to Max.
“Hey, this isn’t easy!” exclaimed Max, struggling to hold it steady.
“You wanted some of the fun, didn’t you?” asked Kazin innocently.
“You made it look easier than it was!” complained Max.
“It’s easier if you spread your feet apart and balance yourself properly. Rubin showed me how.”
Max looked hopefully at Rubin.
Rubin laughed. “All right, if you insist.” He took the helm and demonstrated the proper stance and positioning and made Max do the same.
“This isn’t so bad after all,” said Max after a moment.
“I’m starting to get hungry,” said Kazin. “I haven’t eaten since the party late last night.”
“The galley’s in the fore section of the ship,” said Rubin. “Gerald’s the cook. He’ll stir you up somethin’. His cookin’ ain’t gourmet, but it’s O.K.”
“Great,” said Kazin. “Come on Max. Let’s go eat.”
“Good idea,” said Max. He let go of the tiller but grabbed it again quickly. “Whoa! I think you’d better take over, Rubin.”
“I’m already here,” said Rubin, taking the spokes of the wheel firmly in hand. “Ye can let go now.”
Max joined Kazin and they went to the galley, where Gerald was tossing some pancakes into the air. Gerald was a hulking, robust man, typical of a ship’s cook. Aside from a receding hairline, he appeared to be fairly young, perhaps in his mid-thirties.
“Well!” said Gerald. “It appears my guests have finally gotten out of bed! What’ll ye have?”
“Some pancakes sound good to me,” said Kazin.
“If ye wouldn’t mind makin’ some fer us,” added Max with a mischievous grin.
Gerald threw his head back and roared with laughter. “It appears we have a comedian on board! Very well, pancakes it is. ‘Tis my specialty.”
The boys watched the cook at work. He operated a clean and efficient galley. The pots and pans hung in orderly fashion from carefully spaced pegs in the wall and the tables were almost a shiny clean. Gerald worked efficiently, preparing the pancakes with a familiarity only an experienced cook could have. When he finally placed their plates in front of them, they were awed by the enormous blueberry pancakes which hid the plates beneath. The mages did not hesitate to dig in. They were famished.
After breakfast they went back on deck. The sun was trying unsuccessfully to break through the cloud cover. The day passed relatively uneventfully and before they knew it, they were going below again to get some dinner. Here they met with most of the crew and heard stories of danger and intrigue. They went to bed that night with thoughts of adventure and glory and soon dozed off.
The mages awoke the next morning to the sound of running feet overhead. Something was going on. Max and Kazin quickly dressed and went on deck. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east. It was still overcast and the morning breeze was rather cool. They ignored all this, staring instead at the majestic city of Arral which lay before them.
Arral was a large city, consisting of perhaps twenty-five thousand people. It was a major trade center and an enterprising port. The large, plain warehouses near the water paled in comparison with the even larger trade centers behind them, where goods from many lands and various races changed hands daily. There were many people already abroad despite the early hour.
This was only the eastern side of the river. The western side was a complete contrast to its counterpart. Here luxurious dwellings indicated the residential section of the city. Some mansions were even bigger than the warehouses and their yards. Their lush gardens portrayed an elegant serenity that contrasted sharply with the drab platforms and cluttered yards of the warehouses. The water on this side was shallower, preventing large and middle sized ships from getting too close. The nobles in this area liked it that way, preferring to let the other side of the river deal with all the commotion.
Spanning the river and joining the two parts of the city were two enormous bridges. One was designed to accommodate traffic in one direction, while the other was meant for traffic in the other. The height of these bridges permitted ships of all sizes to pass beneath, allowing for a smooth transportation system that was the envy of the lesser towns, which had to make use of barges in order to cross the river from one side to the other.
Captain Durango was on deck barking orders to his crew. Apparently they were going to bypass this magnificent city and continue on their journey south without stopping.
Kazin sighed. “I’ve only been to this city once but it was a time I’ll never forget. Some of the things they sold there were fascinating.”
“Did you get a chance to go to the residential section?” asked Max, looking at the mansions on the west side. “Some of the houses over there are enormous!”
“No,” said Kazin. “They don’t let outsiders across the bridge without a letter containing the seal of a resident from that part of town.”
“Too bad,” said Max. “It would be worth seeing sometime.”
They cruised gently under the first bridge. Some children waved at them from above. Kazin and Max waved back. The top of the masts of the Lady of the Sea easily cleared the bottom of the bridge. Obviously the bridge was built to accommodate even larger ships. The second bridge appeared to be newer than the first, but the height was the same.
There were docks all along the east side of the river and many ships were present, from small rowboats, to large merchantmen with holds big enough to contain tons of supplies. Down here the river was fast moving and as a result the ice from the winter was washed away many weeks ago. This allowed many ocean going vessels to be present, loading supplies to be brought south and east.
The Lady of the Sea sailed for another half hour or so before the great city vanished from sight behind some low hills. Several cows and sheep could be seen in the farmland in this area, a prime location for the fortunate farmers who tended them. The captain called for more speed and went below, satisfied with the smooth transition from Skull Lake to the Simal River. Their speed picked up immediately, a result of both the water current and the air.
The mages were still on deck when Rubin came up to them. “How’d ye like Arral?”
“It was quite the city,” said Kazin. “Too bad I couldn’t visit it this time.”
“Ye been there before?”
“Yeah, once.”
“Me too,” said Max. “I’ve even been as far as Rimmet. We traveled by road, though. It took us five days from Marral.”
Rubin whistled. “I’m glad I travel by sea. It saves a lot of time. We should be in Rimmet by this time tomorrow.”
“By tomorrow morning?!” said Max incredulously. “How can that be? It’s farther from here to Rimmet than it is from Marral to Arral.”
“We have the current and the wind on our side,” said Rubin. “To go upstream would take twice as long.”
“Oh,” said Max. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Rubin smiled. “We’ll make a sailor of ye yet. Just wait ‘till we get to the Bay of Barlin, and the ocean beyond.”
“What’s it like?” asked Kazin.
“Ye’ll see when ye get there,” sa
id Rubin with a mischievous grin. “It’ll be a time ye’ll never forget!”
Max groaned. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Speakin’ of sounds,” said Rubin, “I hear the sound of flapjacks. Time for breakfast. Comin’?”
Chapter 16
The passengers and crew of The Lady of the Sea arrived in Rimmet the following morning just as Rubin had predicted. Rimmet was a large town like Arral, but slightly smaller and less well-to-do. They had no bridges and anyone wishing to cross the river had to make use of the barges that were available on either side. It was just such a barge that caused a small commotion on the Lady of the Sea.
The Lady of the Sea had the right of way as she was coming downstream at a good clip. The barge operator was too slow to notice and before he could react he was directly in the schooner’s path. Captain Durango yelled for the barge to make way and the barge operator told the captain likewise. Durango issued orders and the Lady of the Sea swerved around the barge, narrowly missing it. The waves caused by the schooner threatened to swamp the barge and the barge operator shook his fist at Durango. The captain merely smiled smugly and chewed on his pipe. “Serves ‘im right,” he muttered.
The sun was already up and this time it managed to penetrate the cloud cover. It created a golden hue on the water and the ripples in the wake of the Lady of the Sea appeared as tiny droplets of gold. Captain Durango continued shouting orders as they wended their way around northbound ships, making their course steadily toward the junction of the Elgar and Simal rivers. The Simal River ended here, giving way to the southeast flowing Elgar.
To the west up the Elgar River lay North Lake, a massive lake some twenty times the size of Skull lake. Most ocean going vessels were too deep hulled to navigate up the western part of the Elgar, choosing instead to drop off their shipments in Rimmet or Arral. It was often worth the trip up the Simal River to Arral since the prices there were more attractive. The supplies to be brought back from Arral were also more valuable and diverse.
The Lady of the Sea smoothly made a turn to port, following the Elgar in a southerly direction. This route would soon veer off to the east.
Captain Durango came over to the three mages, all of whom stood on deck. “Well, me mateys, about three days sail an’ we’ll reach the bay of Barlin. Five days after that we’ll reach Ten Star Reef. From there it be south.” He looked at Sandor. “Ye still sure ye want to go down there? Them elves don’t take too kindly to our snoopin’ around in their waters.”
“Yes,” said Sandor. “We have important business there.”
Durango shrugged. “If ye insist.” He stuck his pipe back into his mouth and trudged off, muttering something about ‘mages’ and ‘business’.
“Does he always chew that empty pipe?” asked Max of no one in particular.
“Yup,” answered Rubin. He happened to be within earshot and overheard Max’s question. “Ever since I’ve known ‘im, he’s had that pipe in his mouth. Never smoked it once.”
“I wonder why,” said Max.
“From what I gather,” continued Rubin, “he used to smoke until his wife died. One day his wife took ill and blamed it on his smokin’. He never listened and finally she passed on. He took it hard and blamed himself. He swore he’d never smoke again and he didn’t. He kept the pipe, though, as a reminder of what happened back then. Now when he clenches down on it, it’s a sign of his determination or anger. Ye don’t want to get on his bad side, that’s for sure.”
“I’ll remember that,” said Max.
The next three days passed quickly and quietly.
First they passed the mouth of the Silver River, which led to the elven guard post where goods were unloaded on wagons destined for the heart of elven territory. Only very shallow hulled vessels were capable of travel up this river.
Next they arrived at Suncroft, the last staging area before exiting the Elgar River. The captain made a brief port call to replenish supplies before preparing to set sail into the Bay of Barlin. The sun was already high in the sky, with only a few clouds visible, and the choppy waves brought with them the pungent smell of salt water. Seagulls whirled noisily overhead, swarming down to fishing trawlers as they unloaded their morning catches.
Kazin and Max looked eagerly out to sea, seeing for the first time a horizon with no land in sight. Rubin was right. This adventure was one they would never forget.
Within hours they were far enough from land to see nothing but water and sky. The waves were much larger than what they were used to, and the rolling action of the boat was beginning to get nauseating.
Rubin visited them briefly at the starboard rail. He took a deep breath. “Mmm. Ain’t it wonderful? The salty air is like fire in the veins. It keeps ya sharp and alive.”
“If you say so,” said Max. He was holding his stomach. Kazin didn’t look much better.
“Don’t worry, fellas,” said Rubin. “Ye’ll get used to it. Ye have to.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so many pancakes this morning,” moaned Max. He retched over the side.
“That’s the spirit,” chided Rubin, slapping him on the back. “Do that a few more times an’ ye’ll start to feel better.”
Max groaned.
The young mages spent the rest of the day near the rail, doing their best to get used to the rocking motion of the ship. The night was restless but manageable and the next day they were feeling somewhat better.
Rubin visited them in the galley around noon. They were listening to Gerald’s outrageous sea stories. “I see ye’re doin’ much better,” he said cheerfully. “Good, ‘cause the captain gave me permission to teach you land lubbers some lessons in sailin’. If ye’re interested, that is.”
Gerald snickered. Max glared at him.
Kazin laughed. “Just ignore them, Rubin. They’ve been making fun of each other since day one. As for your offer, we’re bored of practicing simple spells in our cabin, and sitting around on deck isn’t too exciting either. Sandor doesn’t talk much so I guess we’re still on our own as far as what to do. What do you think, Max?”
“Let’s go,” said Max, still glaring at Gerald. “At least we can sail better than a cook.”
The mages followed Rubin on deck with Gerald’s uproarious laughter ringing in their ears.
The next three days the mages learned about sailing and were put to work tying knots, mending sails, and swabbing decks. The latter they weren’t too enthusiastic about, but Rubin insisted they learn everything like any novice sailor.
During the fourth day the sailors came within sight of the first island in Ten Star Reef. There was also land visible to the south. It had a dark-green tinge indicative of forest.
The sun was well behind them now. It would be dark in a few hours.
The captain and Rubin discussed their strategy for the next leg of the journey. It was finally decided that they drop anchor for the night behind the second island. Kazin inquired as to why this was necessary. Rubin indicated they were too close to the elven lands in the south, and to drop anchor for the night within sight of the elves was a potentially dangerous act. Elves were fussy about strange ships in their waters.
The Lady of the Sea navigated swiftly around the south side of the first island and then easily managed to follow the sharp curve around the north side of the second island where she put in for the night.
The schooner’s travel did not go unnoticed. A lone female elf with long golden hair sat high in a tree at the edge of the elven forest. She curiously watched the ship wind its way into the islands with her sharp elven vision. As the ship disappeared behind an island, she heard a rustle beneath her. Below her, looking across the sea, was what appeared to be a spotless white horse. She decided to get a better look at it, since the branches hid most of it from view. As she climbed closer a small dry twig snapped, alerting the horse to
the danger overhead. It sprang off into the forest, not waiting to see what had made the noise. What the elf glimpsed just then made her blink. It was impossible. Yet her elven eyesight had never been wrong. She sprang lightly to the ground and darted off to her village. Everyone was going to hear about this!
Sandor came on deck that evening to talk briefly with the captain before heading back to his quarters. It was the first time he had shown himself since they left Suncroft, with the exception of mealtimes. Some sailors asked Kazin and Max more than once if the old mage was ill. The young mages simply responded that they didn’t know. They gave up attempting to engage him in conversation several days ago now. He seemed more engrossed in a book he had in his possession.
They started off early the next morning, turning south across the eastern side of the second island and exiting the reef between two final islands.
Rubin and Kazin were in the crow’s nest scanning the horizon. Rubin was looking east when he gasped.
“What is it?” asked Kazin.
Rubin handed the looking glass to Kazin. “Look over there, to the east.”
“A ship,” said Kazin, squinting despite the glass.
“A minotaur pirate ship,” corrected Rubin. “Fortunately they’re headin’ north. And at a good clip to boot. I don’t think they seen us.” He looked at their own sails, which billowed with a relatively strong north wind. “That’s odd. I don’t see how they be sailing so quick against the wind.”
“Maybe they have a mage or cleric on board,” said Kazin. “I’ve heard a lot about how mages assist in making wind for sailing vessels.”
“Not minotaurs,” said Rubin. “They hate mages. If they be startin’ to use mages—well, let’s just say that means trouble.”
“You think they’re going to use mages for battle?”
“If they use mages for sailing, why not for war?”
Rubin kept an eye on the minotaur vessel for a few more minutes until it disappeared from view behind one of the islands. Then he turned his attention to the south. In the distance he could just make out the mountains on the eastern side of the elven lands.
Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 14