Menin walked up to him. ‘What’s the matter, Curator?’ she asked.
‘The boat is green,’ he said. ‘I was expecting red, white and gold.’
Menin looked puzzled for a moment, and then she understood. ‘Ah, I see. Yes, The Brotherhood is not very accomplished with waterborne vessels I’m afraid, and we have lost a few boats on very similar journeys. Thankfully no lives. This particular boat was purchased just before you arrived several months ago, and we just haven’t got round to painting it.’
‘Although,’ she went on, ‘I’m inclined not to do so since even we are under threat of attack from pirates at sea. The red and gold, you see, pick us out as a prime target.’
‘I don’t like the sound of that,’ Coinin confessed.
‘Don’t worry, pirates operate mostly out of The New World and are less likely to use the sea as means of travel in winter. They do seem to favour those airships of theirs.’
Coinin, not in the least comforted by this, merely nodded to Menin and excused himself. He lugged his sack to a wooden hatch into which he had seen soldiers hoisting cargo, and offered his load to the pile to be lowered below decks. He was hit by the creaking of timbers and the smell of bitumen and damp rope as it wafted up from the hold. So strong was the scent that it made him queasy. Not used to travelling on boats, the smell only made it doubly worse. He just hoped that he did not embarrass himself by evacuating the contents of his stomach during the voyage.
He ventured into the low cabin and had to duck his head to enter. A set of wooden steps led down, and he followed these. Along the walls of the cabin, every available inch of space had been used. Coiled ropes, wooden floats, spare oars, and other implements, the use of which he had no idea, hung from hooks. The smell grew stronger, bitumen mixed with sweat and grease, and it turned his stomach further. At the bottom of the steps, he had a choice to double back left or right. He chose left.
Through the centre of the boat ran storage rooms and sleeping quarters. It was cramped here, and he had to step over small benches meant for the oarsmen, or duck under netting hung from the ceiling. He noted oar handles tied to the seats as he trod carefully. At the aft of the boat, two rooms had been set aside, and he could see Menin inside the leftmost one. He rapped on the doorframe and coughed lightly.
‘Come,’ said Menin.
Coinin stepped inside the simple room. Bare, yet functional, it had a window that he knew would please Menin significantly. Since she had taken Office of Archmage, she had, for her safety, changed her study room, and this did not have a window. She had often commented to him about the value of a window to maintain one’s sanity.
To the left, a hammock had been strung between two walls, and in the centre of the room, a small desk was fastened to the decking. Aside from a chair, the only other furniture appeared to be a large wooden chest that sat in a corner. Several lanterns lightly swung above them and offered a good deal of light, to Coinin’s delight. He had had enough of dark spaces for one day.
‘Welcome, Coinin. I trust you know how to command a ship?’ Menin asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Coinin blanched. ‘You want me to—’ he gulped at the thought. He had never set foot on a boat before now, and he was rightly panicked.
Menin could not hold back her mirth any longer and burst forth with a laugh. ‘Relax, I’m not going to ask you to captain the boat. Jericho will do that for us.’
Coinin let out a deep breath of relief and closed his eyes. ‘You’re going to be the death of me one day Laliala,’ he said.
‘Nonsense; a joke never killed anyone. I was trying to relieve your tension. I can see you aren’t comfortable.’
A hatch above them opened, and Jericho stuck his head through the gap. ‘Archmage, we are ready if you want to join us up on deck,’ he called.
‘Thank you, General. Oh, and do me one small favour will you please?’
‘Anything, Archmage.’
‘Lock that hatch. I don’t want all and sundry popping their heads through for a chat.’
‘Immediately,’ he announced and slammed it shut with a click.
Coinin knew that she valued her privacy and that she had chastised him in her own unique way. Jericho would not hurriedly repeat his mistake.
❖
On deck, Coinin witnessed several things happen at once All hatches were battened down and the starboard oars were lowered into the water. Ropes that held the boat fast to the jetty were released and coiled on deck. Once complete, the gangplank retracted, and the soldiers headed below decks. Ahead, he saw one man who had waited by the hand crank take his cue from Jericho. He cranked and cranked, and Coinin could see in what little light there was that the man grew redder in the face by the second. A rattle of chains accompanied a low rumble, and he could see the wall in front of the boat rise. He looked over the side and spotted light coming from under the water and then seconds later he was momentarily blinded as sunlight streamed into the cavern. The wall rose quickly now, and he could see molluscs and other shellfish attached firmly to it. The roar of the sea could be heard clearly, and when the boat suddenly lurched, Coinin had to steady himself. The port side oarsmen had lowered their oars and pushed off, just enough for their blades to make contact with the sea.
He heard a muffled cry from below decks, and as one, the oarsmen took their first stroke. Jericho manned the tiller, and after a few minutes of fighting the tide they exited the sea cave and ventured into the choppy waters that surrounded the volcanic island. The wind howled, and the sea spray soaked those on deck.
They were on the far side of the island, not visible to the mainland, and would have to traverse it before heading towards Rosthagaar and their destination, the City of Rostha harbour.
The rolling waves crashed against the sides of the boat and threatened to dash it against sharp rocks not too far from land. It was all the oarsmen could do to keep her clear. Coinin swayed with the pitch and roll of the boat and felt in danger of leaving his hastily eaten breakfast behind. He heard Jericho shouting to him and carefully made his way to the General. At one point he had to crawl on all fours, and just as he reached his destination, the sea calmed a little, and the wind howled less.
He cupped a hand to his mouth. ‘What is it General?’ he yelled.
‘I need you to take the tiller. I need to check below decks that my men are fine,’ Jericho yelled back.
‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ Coinin objected. ‘What about Laliala?’
Jericho shook his head. ‘It’s easy, all you have to do is point in the direction of this compass heading,’ he said, gesturing to a small brass compass on a pedestal in front of him.
Coinin checked the heading and sighed. ‘If you’re sure?’
‘I will be gone minutes. Keep her on course and you’ll do fine.’
‘What do I do?’
Jericho reached forward and grasped Coinin’s wrist, then directed his hand to the boat's tiller. ‘Hold this, and turn it left or right to correct the direction. Try not to let the waves strike us on the sides of the boat; I don’t wish to be capsized today,’ he replied. ‘Head instead into an oncoming wave.’
With that, Jericho left a bewildered Coinin in charge of a vessel he had no experience to pilot. The closest he had ever come to piloting a boat was the small coracle that he and Marrok had used as children. He kept an eager eye on the compass and the other on the waves that headed in his direction. Once or twice he miscalculated, and the boat took a pummelling. He couldn’t understand why he had been chosen for this task; surely one or more of the soldiers would have been better suited to the job?
In the distance he saw the dark outline of land approaching and hoped that Jericho would not be too much longer; he did not know how to guide a ship into port. Thankfully, a minute later, Jericho reappeared from the cabin and once more resumed his place at the tiller.
‘How are things down there?’ Coinin asked.
‘Grim. They are having a hard time of it. It seems the boat
isn’t as seaworthy as we once thought. I shall wring the neck of the trader who sold it when next I see him,’ Jericho replied. ‘Between rowing, we have to bail water, and most of our provisions look to be destroyed. Would you go below decks and assist with the bailing?’
‘Certainly,’ Coinin replied and headed towards the small cabin, thankful to be relieved as pilot.
Several large waves reared their heads above the boat and cascaded across the deck. Coinin staggered across the deck and stumbled. He stood only to slip on the wet deck and cracked his head on the port bulwark. Struggling to his feet he shook his head, trying to clear it when a wave larger than the rest swept him off his feet. He was thrown overboard into the icy sea. He yelled and spluttered as salty water filled his mouth. It was cold, so very cold, and his woollen cloak threatened to drag him under the icy water. A minute had passed before he saw a flash of red, and then seconds later, strong arms wrapped around his torso and he felt a tug. Someone had come to his rescue, though now both of them were in danger of being taken by the sea. They both went under, time and again, fighting for air. Instead of the boat getting further away it approached them. The crew had heard a shout of ‘man overboard’ and were now battling to keep the ship as stationary as possible. Coinin’s rescuer had fastened a rope to himself and dove in after him, and before long strong soldiers were hauling the pair back to safety. Minutes later the exhausted duo flopped almost lifeless onto the hard wooden deck.
‘Quickly now, take them below. We must get them warm,’ Menin called anxiously.
Coinin shivered uncontrollably as muscular arms hoisted him aloft and carried him down the steep flight of steps. He was taken to Menin’s quarters and placed in her hammock. Several warm blankets were placed over him, and then a bitter liquid forced down his throat. It made him cough and had a warming effect.
❖
He awoke some hours later feeling considerably better, yet shivered. The first thing he noted was that the swaying had ceased. He turned his head into the room and saw Aniol anxiously biting her lip.
‘Thank the gods you’re awake,’ she said. ‘You had us all worried.’
‘I have a habit of doing that,’ Coinin replied. ‘My rescuer? How is he?’
‘She is fine, no thanks to you,’ Lieutenant Reena Lifor corrected from the doorway.
Coinin’s heart skipped a beat, and he flushed bright red upon seeing the beautiful woman.
‘Mind your manners Lieutenant, remember whose presence you are in.’ Aniol stood and faced the soldier.
Coinin raised a hand. ‘It’s acceptable this once Aniol, I probably deserve it,’ he began and then turned his attention once more to Reena. ‘I’m sorry for my assumption, and I thank you for your assistance,’ he apologised.
‘Forgive my rudeness,’ said Reena, eyeing Aniol. ‘I was just doing my job. My orders are to protect the Curator at all costs,’ she finished nonchalantly.
Coinin hopped stiffly from his hammock and crossed to the Lieutenant. He offered his arm in friendship, which she accepted. ‘Nevertheless, you saved my life with no thought for your own safety, and that deserves reward. I shall speak to General Jericho about a promotion,’ he said and held her arm longer than was deemed appropriate.
Reena removed her arm, and slight pink spots appeared on her cheeks. She bowed her head. ‘Thank you, Curator, although it’s not necessary. The life of the Curator is reward enough.’
‘As Archmage Menin would say, nonsense, I insist,’ said Coinin with a finality to his tone.
‘Very well, if that’s the way it’s to be then I accept. However, I was sent here at the General’s bidding. He wishes to see you on deck, and he said to bring your sword,’ Reena acquiesced. She backed out of the room and then retreated down the corridor.
Coinin turned to Aniol. ‘Now would you mind telling me how I got into these clothes? They are not the ones I was wearing this morning,’ he asked.
❖
Coinin limped out of the low cabin on deck and found himself overwhelmed with a host of new sights and smells, most new to him. Gulls circled overhead and looked for scraps of food, or attempted to steal fish from the many catches brought into port.
They were moored to a stone wharf, one of many judging by how many ships were in port. All along the wharves, stalls had been erected, and traders sold their catch of the day to crowds of city folk. The noise of people shouting was deafening, and the smell in the air was ripe with rotten fish. Behind the wharf, a thick stone wall protected the city within. Not too far away a high entrance gate was guarded by a handful of city guards.
General Jericho impatiently tapped his foot against the bulwark as he eyed the sight before him with disgust, and turned at the sound of footsteps behind him. ‘Ah, Curator. Fit and able I see. Welcome back from the dead,’ he said.
‘Thank you, General. You asked to see me?’
‘Yes, I did. I’ve sent the others ahead to find Laliala’s brother Hur’al. I’m not keen to leave anyone behind aboard ship. Should things go awry, we need to escape fast, and the ship will not be the best of options. No doubt Hantestum would block the port and search all vessels. I was left behind to wait for you.
‘Do you honestly believe the King would have an issue with us?’
‘The King’s attitude and behaviour towards The Brotherhood has become erratic of late. We should be prepared for any eventuality.’
‘I understand.’
‘Do you feel up to hunting us a captain and his ship?’
Coinin nodded. ‘I’m ready, I think the walk will warm me up a little.’ He noted Jericho’s use of Menin’s birth name as opposed to her family name since her security needed to be preserved.
Coinin, Jericho, Aniol, and Reena slipped and slid down the gangplank to dry land, and they each never felt happier to be on solid ground.
‘First things first, we need to find Laliala,’ said Jericho. ‘Now, I think they stated that they were going to try the Thieves Guild District of the city. It’s not very pleasant I’m afraid, but we should look for a hostelry called the Looted Hen. My advice would be to not look at or talk to anyone, and keep the hood of your cloak up.’
‘Why would she try that district first?’ Coinin asked.
‘She said Hur’al was a creature of habit, and that it was the first place he’d probably visit if he were here.’
Coinin frowned. ‘I’m concerned that twenty of your men will be seen to be out of place in a district such as that.’
‘Indeed, that’s why they will maintain a low profile not too far away, and Laliala will go with only Zaruun for company. However, I do wish to make haste and be there should there be trouble. Did you bring your sword?’
‘It’s safely tucked away under my cloak,’ Coinin affirmed and patted his belt to make the point.
‘Good, keep it handy, and let us away.’
Coinin inwardly thanked Rindor for answering his prayer. Jericho had successfully been distracted from his problems, the grief of the man seemingly pushed to the back of his mind now that he had more pressing matters to attend to.
The city gate loomed with its high sandstone columns flanking the entrance like silent sentinels. A crenellated wall ran left and right as far as the eye could see, patrolled by city guards. They entered the city with only a cursory look from the gate guards who seemed to be rather bored.
Coinin gazed in wonder at the sights and sounds of this strange place. The city lay before them breathtakingly vast in size, though not as beautiful as the golden temple and its grounds. The City of Rostha was exceedingly run down and in desperate need of repair.
For defensive purposes, the main street ran in a winding circular pattern, up a steep incline to meet at the top, where Castle Rostha gleamed in the winter sun.
Every hundred yards or so, statues to Rindor, Maresh or Taminoth overshadowed passersby, and interspersed at irregular intervals, smaller statues of King Hantestum overlooked his subjects. From what Coinin could tell, the King appeared to be gro
ssly overweight and had a cruel expression. His face was clean-shaven, and he wore his hair long that curled to his shoulders.
They advanced through the city, and not once did Coinin complain about his ankle. He merely gritted his teeth and bore the pain. They had to reach Laliala and ensure her safety. Coinin became aware that the closer the road got to the castle, the more cared for the houses or shops appeared, although only slightly; the city had seen better days. Filth and dirt littered the main street, and lower in the city, the houses were wooden and weatherworn, while the higher population enjoyed sandstone buildings. Coinin did not like the inequality of it all and said so.
‘Sadly, there is nothing that we can do. We have no sway in the city. This is Hantestum’s domain,’ replied Jericho. ‘We’re nearly in the district I warned you about. Keep your eyes and ears open, and let’s not all walk together.’
Coinin and Aniol separated from Jericho and Reena, and then followed at a discreet distance. They ducked down a dark, damp alleyway that stank of stale urine and rotten foodstuffs. Gap-toothed men and women in drab, dirty clothing leant against the walls of houses and eyed them suspiciously as they walked by. One filthy individual spat at Coinin’s feet, and he recoiled in disgust to the sounds of laughter. His reaction, however, had sparked in the watchers a desire to intimidate the strangers, and so they tailed them for a while. One particularly disfigured individual rounded Aniol and offered a toothy grin. She tried to bypass him, but he thrust an arm out to stop her. With his free arm, he whipped the hood from her head and sucked air in through his teeth, and then licked his lips.
‘Now isn’t you gorgeous,’ he hissed.
Aniol attempted to barge past the man, whereupon he grabbed her with both arms wrapped around her body so that his stinking breath made her turn her head in revulsion.
The Aduramis Chronicles: Volumes 1-3: The Definitive Collection Page 44