“Agreed,” said Slurr. “I do not relish leading people to their deaths.”
“General,” said Renton, “you must realize that not following Cerah’s plan would mean just as certain death, maybe more certain. Unprepared people in cities and villages would be mere fodder for Surok and his army.”
“You have heard the story of how he sent Silestra to Melsa?”
“I have heard the tale. They were dispatched to eliminate the Chosen One, but only succeeded in killing her brother. Beru was a fine man. Not the sailor you were, perhaps, but he never backed down from a challenge or a chore.”
“I have known Cerah since we were both babies. I am only six months her senior. I have seen her undergo many changes, especially since that day on Mount Arnon when we saw Kamara vanish in a flash of blistering light. But nothing changed her like the loss of her brother did. She went from having accepted the truth of the prophecy and the teaching of the wizards to a single-minded, vengeful determination overnight. She is still my wife, and she vows her love and devotion to me each and every day. But at the same time, she is focused so keenly on the destruction of Surok that it frightens me a little.”
“I had occasion to speak with her briefly before we set sail,” said Renton. “I sensed the change to which you refer. I did not witness her time on Melsa, but I certainly remember her on my ship, humbly working in the galley and listening to old Garl’s sea-tales. To see her clad in her new armor, carrying her metal staff—well, it was quite a shock to the system. I made the mistake of saying something along the lines of, ‘So now the war begins,’ to which she sternly replied, ‘The war began on Melsa, when Surok’s mutant assassins ate my brother’s flesh.’ It sent a shiver down my spine.”
“My spine shivers constantly,” said Slurr, attempting a smile.
“Well, General, I should take my leave.”
“Take your leave? Admiral, we are in your quarters. If anyone is to leave, it’s me.”
“Slurr, you are my commanding officer. Naval etiquette decrees that the captain’s cabin is to be occupied by the highest ranking official on board. Had I not been so preoccupied during our first two days at sea I would have already sought you out and relinquished the quarters. It’s your cabin now.”
“Wait. I will not hear of it. I do not wish to go against the rules of sea protocol, but I must insist that you at least share the cabin with me. I will seek your advice often, and it will not be an efficient use of time if I have to repeatedly pry you from a cabin full of warriors and crewmen. Sling another hammock and stay in your cabin.”
“Is that an order?” Renton asked, his crooked smile warming the room.
“It is. See? I’m getting better at this!” laughed Slurr.
“Very well. Come with me. I wish to inspect the ship again before turning in. We’ll grab a hammock from the stores.”
The two men walked across the deck, which like the holds below was nearly impassible for all the people sitting on every inch of available space. To Slurr’s pleasant surprise, the mood among them was upbeat. They all hailed him with a salute as he and Renton passed by. Slurr found a moment to speak a kind word to as many as he could, but in the end there were too many to greet each person.
Once Renton was satisfied that the deck was in as good condition as could be expected he led Slurr below. Again, the mass of humanity was almost unimaginable. Only the thinnest of pathways could be found to walk among the cramped holds. But still the people managed to smile as the two leaders passed by. After several minutes, Renton felt that although the conditions were clearly unpleasant, there was little that could be done to improve them. He and Slurr made their way out, stopping at a small supply store to retrieve a mesh hammock.
Although he had tried to encourage Slurr earlier, Renton now shook his head. “This voyage will not end soon enough for me. It will be another fortnight, nearly, before we reach the Frozen South.”
Slurr nodded grimly. “Tomorrow we will allow all those in the holds to come on deck, and we’ll have to send those currently there for a term below. There is no way that many people will survive a two-week journey if they are constantly confined in that space.”
“Agreed,” said Renton. “I will send word to the other ships to commence that rotation with their troops as well.” The ships sailed in close enough formation that messages could be shouted between them and relayed back through the armada similarly.
As Slurr and Renton settled into their hanging beds for the night, Slurr thought about Cerah flying above them and wished she were by his side.
“How are the dragons doing, Tress?” Cerah asked her match-mate as they flew through the night, both Giselle and Antera painting shimmering white lines on the ocean below them.
“They are happy to be following you,” Tressida replied. “It gives them great joy to serve the Chosen One.”
“Are they tired? Are you tired?”
“I can fly for many days without tiring, but I am a queen. The others will need to set their feet down before too much longer. Perhaps when the sun comes up we can find some land on which to pause.”
“We won’t be able to rest for long,” Cerah said. “I will instruct the ships to continue full speed ahead. We can verge upon them after the dragons have caught their breath.”
“Of course, beloved,” the golden dragon replied, her voice calm and soothing in Cerah’s head.
A moment later, the black Dardaan flew alongside. On his back was Parnasus and Zayan. The Riddue had asked to split his flying time between Szalmi and Dardaan, as he’d grown quite friendly with both Kern and the First-Elder, and they were happy to oblige.
“How goes it, Cerah of Quadar?” asked Parnasus.
“Well,” she replied. “I was just discussing the condition of the dragons with Tressida. She says they’re holding up, but that we should probably rest them for a while come sun-up.”
“It is wise to follow the queen’s counsel,” the wizard said. “She feels the heartbeat of every dragon aloft. We’ve been flying nonstop for two days. Even the hardiest beast will be feeling that effort.”
“I know,” Cerah said. “I wish we had time to let them pass a day on land, but we can only spare a few hours. Our journey has only begun.”
“True, true,” said Parnasus. “When I sailed with Opatta those many centuries ago we were at a disadvantage both in that we chose to leave our dragons phased down so that they could sail with us aboard ship and that we didn’t really know where we were going. No wizard had ever been to the Frozen South, at least not in recorded history. You will remember it was only hinted about on the walls of Onesperus before our excursion.”
“You’re right,” said Cerah. “The runes said nothing that would have truly helped you.”
“Now we have a course, albeit from my memory only, but I am confident that the way I mapped out for the dragon flight and the armada is accurate and will get us there in the least possible time.”
“I suppose we’d find it eventually just by continuing in a southerly heading,” said Cerah, “but your course will bring us to a point where we can both anchor all of these many ships and land as close to the high peak as we can get.”
“Correct. The march across the ice will be a long one even still. And the climb! Oh, Cerah. I wish I could tell you it will be easy, or even something less than horrific. We cannot fly the dragons to the opening of Surok’s lair, and they must fly low until we reach the mountain. The climate is so severe that flying will cause them great strain and the slope is too steep. No, they will have to phase down and climb beside us. Once inside the mountain they can re-phase. The passage through the interior is wide enough to suit them and they will be an important part of our attack.”
Cerah considered this silently. After a moment she said, “I would be naïve to expect all of our forces will survive the climb.”
“I’m afraid it would be naïve to expect them all to survive the sea-voyage,” the First-Elder said. “You know yourself that life at sea is
hazardous in the best of times. Although once we are fully past the tropics, through which we are currently passing, the threat of storms diminishes. The southern hemisphere, especially in the winter months, rarely experiences typhoons. But shipping this many people is a hazard in itself. The captains will struggle to keep conditions sanitary. Feeding the army, getting them sufficient rest, rationing the drinking water...all of this will prove challenging, to say the least.”
“Would that we could have commandeered another hundred ships. It would have made the voyage much easier on the troops and would have allowed us to carry more provisions. Still, our wizards have gathered an astounding force. If we keep our loses to a minimum, we will present Surok with a most unwelcome surprise.”
Parnasus smiled. “Indeed, Chosen One. He will rue the day when first he looked into your eyes, if that is indeed what happened.”
“I do not know if he saw me the first time I Went Within and saw his lair, but I can tell you without a doubt he saw me the second time. I made it so. And though he attempted to intimidate me with his bravado, I felt his fear, if only for an instant.”
Zayan had been silent during this conversation, but now he asked, “Cerah, what does Slurr tell you of the sword I made for him?”
Cerah smiled at the talented Riddue and said, “He told me that he feels as though he was born with it in his hand, so perfectly does it suit him. I know of what he speaks,” she said, reaching down to touch Isurra, which was secured to Tressida’s side. “My staff is an extension of my arm.”
“I am glad you are both pleased with my work,” Zayan said. “For most of my life I have crafted items only for my own use.”
“I wish we had the time, materials, and enough of your kin to outfit the entire army,” she told him.
“I did have sufficient time to replenish my own stock of arrows,” the Riddue said. “I will do my part in the coming hostilities.”
“I am sure many of Surok’s foul retinue will breathe their last looking down at your handiwork embedded in their bodies.”
Zayan smiled. For all his years of solitude, he found being a part of this congress strangely rewarding. It certainly helped that he spent his days and nights in the company of wizards. Their nature was not like that of the humans his people had long ago chosen to turn away from. But even in the humans he had seen, joined together to fight for the common good of the planet, leaving the comfort of their homes with no assurance of ever seeing them again...surely there was good among them as well. Still, he thought, if my father could only see me now...
Parnasus fell back into formation, leaving Cerah once again alone at the head of the flight. He and Kern flew side by side. Cerah could hear them conversing long into the night. The voices of her teachers, as they discussed strategy, comforted her. Having either of these great wizards at her disposal was an immeasurable asset. To fly with both of them bolstered her confidence immensely.
“Tress, aren’t the moons wonderful tonight?”
“How you love them! You always have, haven’t you?” asked Tressida.
“Ever since I was a little girl. At first, I would just sit in the little yard outside of our house and stare at them until my parents made me go to bed. Later I studied them, learning their patterns. Kern taught me about them. I could tell you the day of the month simply by seeing where Antera was in relation to Giselle. They were my companions when I was alone on the mountain every night watching those horrid agorrah.”
“They are leading us on our way tonight. They race ahead of us, showing us where to fly,” the dragon said.
“If they only knew the dark place they were sending us,” Cerah said, her voice trailing off.
“Look over your shoulder to the north,” said Tressida, turning her head to face that direction as well. Cerah turned and looked to where her match-mate had indicated. The night sky was full of stars, but one shone brighter than all the others. “She told you that you would find her there, and she has kept her promise.”
“She always kept her promises,” said Cerah, letting her mother’s face form in her mind. Tressida turned her head again to face the south. She did a sudden dip which caught Cerah off guard. “What was that all about?” she asked. The dragon’s giggle was clear in her mind. “Oh, just being a smart-aleck, hey?” She reached out and pinched the golden dragon’s crest.
“Ouch! Ooo. You’re going to get it!” Tressida said, commencing a series of radical maneuvers which had Cerah holding on for dear life.
Behind them, Parnasus shook his head and smiled, watching the young dragon having fun in spite of the seriousness of the task in which they were currently engaged. He turned to Kern, still flying beside him and said, “Ah, youth!”
Kern frowned somewhat. “Do you think it’s proper for the Chosen One to be acting in such a way?”
The First-Elder was emphatic. “Absolutely. Let them have a laugh or two. It will not diminish their ability to wage war, it will only make the lead-up a little less dismal. Come on, Kern! Loosen up!” And with that Parnasus led Dardaan into a steep dive, followed by an equally steep climb. The big black beast then completed a barrel roll. Kern was soon laughing in spite of himself.
Several other riders began allowing their match-mates to have some merriment of their own. From the deck of the Marta the young seaman in the crow’s nest looked up and saw dozens of dragons twirling and dipping. He called down to his mate on the deck below, “Do you see them? What are they doing?”
The sailor on deck, a much older fellow, looked up and said, “I believe it’s called ‘playing.’ You should try it sometime!”
After a half-hour the cavorting gradually stopped, and the riders got back to straight and level flight. Cerah lay back on Tressida’s back and stretched her muscles. When she again sat upright she saw the first trace of light on the eastern horizon. “Morning is coming. Tress, begin looking for some land. We’ll give everyone a few hours’ respite.”
The golden queen’s sharp eyes scanned the endless ocean below. They flew for another hour before she spotted anything. By then the sun had appeared in earnest. “That island is big enough for everyone to touch down,” she said.
Cerah looked and nodded in agreement. “Yes, that will do.” She turned and called to Kern, “Let’s rest the dragons on that island there.” He turned to the riders behind him and pointed down. They did the same, and soon all the dragons were descending. Cerah flew close to the Marta and called to the watchman on deck, “Keep your current course. The dragons need to rest. We will catch up with you well before midday.”
“Aye!” shouted the sailor. He instructed that the Chosen One’s orders be relayed to the other ships and then went to inform Admiral Renton. Cerah was still flying near the ship when Renton and Slurr emerged from their quarters. She smiled and waved to her husband.
“We’re making good time, General,” she called to him, “but the beasts are weary. I will see you again later this morning.”
“Of course,” he called back. “You get some rest as well.”
“Don’t worry about me, Lug. I’m raring to go!”
Slurr laughed. “As always!” He blew her a kiss as she flew off to join the others on the island.
The dragon flight and the armada eventually developed a rhythm. The ships sailed relentlessly to the south and were in fact making far better time than they had anticipated due to continuous prevailing winds. The dragons would fly non-stop for two days and then would find a place to rest. They would feed, take water, and sleep for about four hours before again flying hard to catch up with the navy, before resuming a more comfortable pace as they flew in formation over the ships.
Slurr had gotten used to this pattern, although he always grew nervous when they sailed on without the dragons overhead. He kept watch when they were due to return and breathed a sigh of relief when the first wings were spotted.
The air was bitterly cold now, and Renton told Slurr that their destination could not be much farther off, although he had never
sailed this far south.
The rotation of soldiers from the holds to the decks had gone a long way to making the voyage slightly less terrible, but it was terrible nonetheless. Two men had become ill a few days before, and when the warriors moved from below deck that morning it was discovered that they had died during the night.
Renton supervised the removal of the bodies personally. He ordered that they be wrapped tightly in linen, and all those on deck stood at attention as they were reverentially allowed to slide off a plank and into the water for burial at sea.
Afterward, he said to Slurr, “If we do not reach the ice sheet soon, more will die. There is just no way to keep the ship clean enough to ward off disease with this many people on board.”
“When Cerah flew down to talk to me this morning she said that Parnasus had told her we were very close,” Slurr said, pointing to the black dragon which flew over them, bearing the First-Elder.
Even as he spoke, the dragons began to trumpet. Slurr strained his eyes and finally he saw what was causing the commotion. A vast shoreline, blindingly white even in the dim, low-lying sun, was visible in the distance. “Look, Renton!” he called. “The Frozen South! We’ve reached it.”
The dragons began to speed ahead, scouting out the best place for the ships to anchor. After nearly an hour, Slurr saw a familiar figure approaching. Kern brought Szalmi down close to the ship. He matched the Marta’s speed, and flew off the port side of the ship. “You will have to anchor a mile offshore and offload your passengers using the boats,” he said. “There is too much ice for you to bring the ships any nearer.”
Slurr nodded, but his face was grim. “It will take days to empty all the ships in that manner,” he said.
“I know. Cerah thinks that may be a good thing, however, as it will give the army some time to recover from the voyage before we begin marching.”
Many Hidden Rooms (Cerah of Quadar Book 2) Page 13