Flecks of Gold

by Buck, Alicia

  The captain recoiled as if struck, and I curved my lips up into a smirk as an added bluff, even though I was quaking inside.

  “I don’t allow magic on my boat,” the captain said. He looked afraid.

  “But you do allow rape? How convenient for you. I’ll make you a deal. You and your men stay away from me. No one comes down to the galley for any reason—other than food at the regular times—and I will refrain from using my skills to strip you of what little manhood you may possess.” I snuffed the light in front of me.

  “You will still make the food and you are not to go above deck,” he said in a blustery voice meant to show me he wasn’t cowed. My eyebrows rose incredulously.

  “I will make the food because that was our agreement, but I will not agree to imprisonment,” I said.

  “My men will make mistakes if they have to worry about a mage up top. I don’t want them slipping at the ropes, causing accidents because of you.”

  “Well, then don’t tell them. Just order them to keep their hands to themselves, and we’ll all be fine.”

  “Get back to work,” he said, storming past me. His cloud of stench trailed behind him as he headed up the stairs. I noticed that he made sure not to touch me as he passed, however. I walked back to the soup, stirring it with gusto to calm my trembling.

  The men were unusually quiet at dinner. After dinner I heard the roar of many voices upstairs, mixed together in argument. But I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I started to ascend the stairs to find out what was going on. A young man sat at the top of the stairs. He dashed off at the sight of me, and by the time I reached the deck, all the sailors were silently about their business. I felt a chill creep up my neck and down my arms as I slowly went back to the kitchen and piled all the pots in the doorway.

  I set the broom next to me as I lay down to sleep, but though I was tired, sleep was elusive. I couldn’t stop thinking about possible lacings to use if I was attacked. I thought of a kind of shield lacing, but I wasn’t sure it would work. Questions circled endlessly in my mind until I forced myself to stop and relax. If I got no sleep at all, I would be even more likely to mess up if I ran into trouble. I tried not to think until I finally drifted into a light doze.

  I swam in and out of wakefulness until a clank startled me into full awareness. I grabbed hold of the broom and listened in tense concentration. Another scuff sounded against the floor boards, but no more pots rattled, so I was unprepared when a man loomed in front of me and struck my head. The world swayed. The already dark room faded further.

  Rough hands dragged me up from the floor as light struck my closed eyelids. My head was on fire with pain, and my mind refused to focus clearly. Many hands carried me up the stairs into the soft glow of dawn.

  “Is she unconscious?” I heard the captain ask.

  “Yes, sir,” someone holding me muttered.

  “Good. You men have done a great thing. We are fortunate I discovered her plan to poison us all as we slept so that she could use dark magic to enslave us to her will. I can’t believe a dark mage came so close to the palace. But these are perilous times, men. We will be doing the country a service by throwing her to the crocs.”

  The men surrounding me murmured assent. I used the distraction to perform a healing lacing on my throbbing head. Then I lay as still as possible, trying to maintain the illusion of a comatose state. The slime. So this was to be Captain Hior’s revenge for my refusing his advances. Boot-shod feet approached me. I heard the other men fall back as the clop of boots on wood came nearer.

  “Yes, we have averted a great disaster today,” said Captain Hior. His smell strengthened, and in a whisper so quiet I knew only I would be able to hear, he said, “No one makes a fool of Dirro Hior.” His meaty finger traced the contour of my cheek. I found it hard not to wince and give myself away. A sudden pain burst to life in my stomach. I gasped, but kept my eyes shut. The blackguard had kicked me.

  Hands lifted me roughly from the floor. I risked slitting my eyes open to see where I was so I could judge what my next move should be. The far bank would be a long swim in unsafe waters, but staying on the ship was not an option. I could never overpower that many men. And I had a better chance surviving in the water if I wasn’t beaten to death before going in.

  “One,” yelled the men as they swung me almost over the edge, then back.

  “Two.” I braced myself for the fall.

  “Three.” They heaved me forward. My body froze for an instant before plunging into the cool murky liquid of the Kazik River. I stroked underwater away from the boat for as long as my breath would hold, then burst out of the wet murk to look back. Men pointed as they spotted me. A few fingers were indicating something beyond me. I spun around and caught sight of two pairs of eyes making a small wake in the water before the crocodiles sank beneath the brown water. They were headed for me.

  I created the steel shield lacing I had thought of the night before to make my body as hard as if it were encased in impenetrable metal, but discovered the disadvantage to this protection as I began to sink. No amount of kicking would bring me to the surface. I was dropping quickly in water whose murk hid anything that was more than a foot away from me.

  I had to undo the lacing, but the crocodiles were coming for me, and they probably saw much better through the muddy depths than I did. My lungs started to strain. My ears pressed painfully as I descended. I was about to undo the lacing when a force slammed into my side. Jaws clamped down, but rebounded harmlessly from my steely skin. The other croc I’d seen clamped onto my leg, and though its teeth didn’t penetrate, it didn’t let go. It tried to roll me in the water, but I was too heavy, so it released me and moved out of my range of vision.

  Black sparks began to float before my eyes. Soon I would try to breathe and inhale only water. I undid the steel shield lacing and kicked toward the surface. It took almost too long, but I broke past the water just before the black of unconsciousness overcame me. I breathed in great heaving gasps, but I had only a few moments of air before I saw four pairs of eyes disappear into the water no more than ten feet from me.

  Think, think, think, Mary, think, I screamed silently to myself. In desperation I created a water lacing in my head, focused on the water beneath and several feet around me and tweaked the lacing to make it freeze into ice. I felt slick cold touch my feet and rise with sudden force. My body started sliding off the ice, so I created the steel shield lacing again and struck my fingers into the ice with the power of pure fear. My hand wedged tightly as the last of the water rushed off. My newly created mini-iceberg bobbed crazily before the upper portion settled a foot above the water.

  I looked down and jumped when I saw a crocodile no more than five inches down, embedded within the ice, teeth bared in readiness to crush my bones. Its tail stuck out of the side of the iceberg, and lashed furiously, loosening large chunks and rocking the iceberg. But the grip of the ice proved too strong, and after several minutes its struggles ceased. I almost felt sorry for the creature despite the chill that shuddered through me when I realized how close I’d come to death.

  The other crocodiles circled the ice a few times. One tried to scramble up the side toward me, but slipped. It succeeded in disrupting the iceberg’s precarious balance, however, and I was in a state of sheer terror as I gripped my finger crevice and tried to stabilize the ice’s swaying so it wouldn’t tip over. One of the other crocodiles seemed to think he would give climbing a try too, and the ice dipped as I slid dangerously close to his open jaws before he lost purchase and slid back into the water. I pulled myself to the opposite side to counterbalance the wobble, and then back again, but each time brought me within snapping distance of a crocodile’s teeth.

  When the ice righted itself there was a lull as the crocs circled. I looked upriver. Captain Hior’s ship was almost out of sight. No one would have seen me survive. I was floating in the opposite direction, back toward Ismar. Looking that way, I saw another boat about two hundred yards behin
d me, just coming into view around a wide curve in the river. But I didn’t have any more time to worry or hope. Another croc, or perhaps the same one, scrabbled for purchase on my ice.

  He almost made it onto the ice and a wave of water swamped me before I could scramble to the high side of the iceberg. The boat was only one hundred yards away now. I could see people coming to the front of the boat, pointing and yelling. Another croc came closer, so I created the ice lacing in my mind and extended the ice another three feet around the edges. Not expecting the sudden solidity, the crocodile ran full tilt into the ice and reeled away, stunned. The ice rocked, though not as strongly as before since the iceberg’s wall was now a foot and a half high and its width was about ten feet across. The crocodiles circled once more, but moved away as the boat came closer.

  I watched the predators slide off through the water before looking up toward the approaching ship. Then I went rigid as my gaze locked with familiar, intense aqua eyes. I wrenched my gaze away. Rafan stood motionless among a sea of scurrying men who were being directed by a person in well-tailored, brown clothing. Though he faced away, I knew him at once.

  Breeohan.

  Chapter 16

  Somehow he had found me. He must have figured out where I’d gone almost right away, or he wouldn’t have caught up so quickly. I came very close to swearing and felt a despairing sob rise before I could swallow it. He’d send me back to the palace. It didn’t help that he was finding me in such a horrible position.

  Breeohan turned to look at me with an unreadable expression. He was close now, only a few yards away, but he didn’t speak. A sailor threw me a rope.

  “Grab on, miss,” yelled the sailor. I caught it awkwardly, undid the steel shield lacing, and was hauled ungracefully aboard the ship. I stood, dripping river water all over the deck. I looked like a drowned rat, but I didn’t want to use so obvious a magical working as the cleaning lacing around the sailors. Using magic in public was part of what had gotten me thrown overboard in the first place. Straightening, I lifted my chin in a haughty manner as if to say, “How dare you disturb me from my morning swim.”

  Rafan pushed roughly through the men crowded around me and grabbed my hand earnestly. “My lady, are you well? Do you need a physician?” I could have killed him right there as the previously friendly sailors started to murmur uneasily at the sound of “my lady.”

  I let out a short bark of laughter instead. “Me? A lady? Hah!” I reclaimed my wet hand and caught a sailor’s eyes to share the joke. He paled and bowed awkwardly. Curse my stupid, stupid eyes! Why didn’t they have contacts in this horrible, flea-ridden, croc-filled . . . My mind went blank mid-insult as Breeohan stepped forward. His expression seemed to be a mix of anger and something more desperate and unsettling. But anger won.

  “What were you doing?” he said, his voice loud, his eyes furious.

  “I decided to take a swim,” I said, wide-eyed and innocent. Wasn’t he even glad to see me? I shrugged that thought away.

  “You were almost killed. I had to save you again. Why can’t you just do as you’re told and stay where you’re ordered?”

  Fury swiftly replaced my dread. “First of all, you did not save me. I saved myself, which you would have noticed if you weren’t so wrapped up in delusions of grandeur. Second, it’s my mother. I will go after her, no matter what you or anyone else says. Third, who died and made you king? You aren’t the boss of me.” I heard gasps of shock and realized I might have gone too far on the king comment, considering that Breeohan would, in fact, rule after King Verone.

  “I may not be king,” there was an unspoken “yet” before Breeohan continued, “but King Verone himself ordered you to stay in the palace. Your actions could be taken as treason.” The last was spoken in a whisper of anger for my ears only.

  “I am not even a citizen of this country. I have done nothing wrong. Are your laws so corrupt that you would hold an innocent person prisoner?” I hissed this back and then felt a twinge of guilt as I realized that I wasn’t totally innocent. I would certainly be in big trouble if anyone let slip the fact that I had impersonated royalty. Although, that wasn’t entirely my fault either. It was another one of Breeohan’s misguided ideas.

  Breeohan’s hand smashed down on the boat’s rail, startling me. “It was for your own protection, which you obviously needed.” His hand swept back to the iceberg, now floating a few hundred yards behind us.

  “I told you I was fine. I don’t need your help, and I don’t recall asking for it.”

  “What were you going to do, float aimlessly, hoping to come to shore?”

  “I would’ve thought of something,” I snapped back.

  “And just gotten yourself into trouble again,” he retorted.

  “Stop treating me like a baby. You’re not my father, or my brother, or anything at all to me, so just back off.”

  Breeohan really did step back as if punched. I looked down in sudden confusion and guilt. “Nothing?” he whispered.

  Rafan’s raspy voice interrupted me. “My lady, you are soaked and tired. Why don’t we let you bathe and get into clean clothes? It seems you’ve had quite an adventure, and after you’ve rested, perhaps we can hear about it.”

  That snapped me back into my surroundings. I looked around to see that the sailors had been watching the show between Breeohan and me. When they saw me looking, they quickly tried to act busy. I felt my cheeks grow hot, but I couldn’t go below deck until one thing was settled. I spoke quietly, but firmly. “I am not going back to the palace. Breeohan, believe me when I say I’m not any safer there. I figured out where my mother is. How can I do nothing knowing—?”

  “I won’t stop you anymore.” Breeohan turned and walked in the opposite direction as Rafan herded me belowdeck.

  “You there, get a hot bath ready immediately,” Rafan yelled at one of the sailors.

  “No, don’t bother,” I counter-ordered. “I’m tired of being wet.” I performed the cleaning lacing, ignoring any response it might create. I didn’t really care what the sailors thought anymore. I felt drained and stupid, and with a shock I remembered that my backpack was still on Captain Hior’s ship. A wrench gripped my stomach. I had lost the last link to my former life. I hadn’t known how much I’d been relying on it for comfort. Even my sneakers were in my backpack. Nothing—I had nothing left. I had to find Mom soon, or I might begin to doubt her existence.

  Rafan led me to a room below where a narrow bunk was nailed to the wall. I noted the bags and gathered that this must be Rafan’s and Breeohan’s room. I regarded the beds thoughtfully and wondered whose bed was whose.

  “I’ll leave you now and let you get some rest. You look exhausted, but let me know the moment you need anything.” Rafan’s eyes looked at me earnestly.

  I felt uncomfortable as I remembered his sudden declaration at the ball. “I will, thanks,” I mumbled. He hesitated, as if waiting for something else, but then slipped out of the cramped room, closing the door. Slumping to the bottom bunk, I squirmed around uncomfortably until I switched to the top bunk. It felt softer and cleaner, and I soon drifted into a deeper sleep than I’d been able to have in days.

  That didn’t stop me from waking when the door opened several hours later.

  “It’s just me,” said Rafan. “I brought you some food. You missed the midday meal.”

  I swung my legs over the side and jumped down. Sharp pins jabbed my feet and legs as I landed. Rafan handed me a plate of grubby-looking soup. I stared suspiciously at some of the floating chunks. I guess it’s back to terrible travel food. I sighed inwardly. Several forced bites later, as the rocking of the boat began to feel like ocean swells and Rafan’s eyes stayed glued to me, I put my spoon down, unable to eat any more.

  “Are you full already? You hardly ate anything.” Rafan set the bowl aside carelessly. Some of the soup spilled, but he didn’t notice because he was grabbing my now-empty hands and hunting my evasive eyes with single-minded purpose.

  “Rafa
n, I . . .”

  His finger lifted to my lips with catlike quickness. “Wait. I know it is too soon to expect an answer. I just wanted to ask if you would allow me to go with you on your search for your mother. I can be of help to you.”

  “I didn’t think I had a choice.”

  “There is always a choice.”

  My hands started to feel sweaty. I didn’t really want to promise not to ditch Rafan, just in case I had to for some reason. I was looking around for a distraction when Breeohan came through the door, saw my hands in Rafan’s and froze, his hand still on the door. I quickly tugged my fingers out of Rafan’s but realized that probably made it look worse. Rafan’s smug smile didn’t help either.

  “Am I interrupting something?” Breeohan said in a neutral tone.

  “Yes,” Rafan said at the same instant I said, “No.”

  “No,” I said again more firmly, shooting a dagger glare at Rafan. The curl of his lips lifted even more. I turned back to Breeohan. “Rafan was just trying to convince me to take him with me to where I know my mother is.” A glance back showed that Rafan was no longer smiling.

  “Rafan and I were already planning to take you to the king. You can travel on from there with the whole company if King Verone permits you.” Breeohan sounded doubtful. The idea of meeting up with the king sounded bad for my chances.

  “Are they on a boat too?” I asked.

  “No. Boats cut time from the journey, but the king has too many people with him, and they will need quite a few horses for when the path splits from the river. Horses in the numbers they will need are hard to find at the river’s turn-off, so they’re traveling by horse from the palace. They’re probably two or three days behind us,” Breeohan said.

  “So what will we do? Wait for them at the next port?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could, even though I chafed at the thought of turning around or waiting for so long, especially since the king might again decide to leave me behind. Maybe I could convince Breeohan and Rafan to continue ahead with me. If not, I could always try sneaking off again. That thought didn’t sit well with me, though. I’d rather talk Breeohan into going on with me. I wouldn’t feel so childish, like a spoiled kid who runs away every time she doesn’t get her way.