Quest for the White Wind

by Alan Black

  He was still twenty feet below I-Sheera when a shower of small rocks pelted him. Caught in mid-shuffle, he allowed himself to twist sideways, letting his back fall against one side of the chimney. Bracing with both feet against the opposite side, he brought his hands up to protect his head from any larger stones that might be breaking loose.

  A scream jerked his head upward just in time to see I-Sheera lose her grip. Tanden grunted and pushed hard with all his aching muscles against the rocks. His legs and back screamed in concert with I-Sheera as she dropped toward him. He braced with all his might, knowing that if she hit him squarely, they would both die. Tanden thought frantically, almost as a chanting prayer. “She’s going to miss me, to miss me, to miss me.” Without thinking, he reached an arm up and out to her. He slapped at an ankle and missed. He grasped at a shoulder and missed. He felt a touch of her arm and clamped on tight. He closed his hand around a wrist as she shot past him. Rock slid under his bare feet and back. His body cried in agony, but he held.

  Tanden swung the girl in and under him. Still holding her by the wrist, he called to her, “Find a new handhold. Hurry.”

  With the numbing jolt to his shoulder and arm, he could not hold her for more than a few seconds. She swung outward again, her legs and free arm beating the air around her. She tried desperately to grab at anything, even grasping at him, stark terror in her eyes.

  He shouted frantically, “Don’t grab me. Reach for the crack. Do it now.” He swung her under him and out of his sight again. He felt weight easing off his arm. It was now or never, he could not hold her any longer. If she died, then she died. He saw no use in both of them falling into the sea. He released his hold on her wrist.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Tanden could not hear anything over his own ragged, harsh breathing. Grabbing the girl had dragged him ten feet down the rock ladder. He had escaped jutting rocks that would have sliced him open, but knew he would suffer badly for his efforts later from seriously strained muscles and torn flesh on his feet and back.

  He heard an uneven sob below him.

  Bracing his legs and torn back against opposite sides of the crack, he worked his way up a few feet until he could change his position to straddling the open air to release the strain from his back. His legs were beginning to quiver with the constant strain of the day.

  Again, Tanden found himself with his arms and legs spread across the crack in the cliff with his back to the sea. Confident he could hold his current position for a moment, Tanden looked down the chimney at I-Sheera. She was only a few feet below him and in the fading light he saw tears streaking down the dirt on her cheeks.

  Tanden said gently, “Listen to me. I know you’re scared. I also know you’re a courageous girl. Take heart. You’re strong enough to save your life. We need you to save our lives as well. I need you. I need you to save my life now. Do you hear me? I need your help.”

  Stifling another sob, I-Sheera looked up into his face. “Yes, Master. I’m here.”

  Gadon shouted from above, “Tanden! What’s going on?”

  He answered, “Not now, Gadon. Hold your peace.”

  Gadon shouted back, “I would but I can’t reach it and I don’t see that this is the right time for that anyway. Maybe later, but thanks for the suggestion.”

  Noticing I-Sheera’s robe looped around her neck, Tanden asked softly. “Girl, I need you to unbundle your robe and pass it up to me.”

  Without answering, she worked her way up the chimney, squeezing between Tanden and the chimney wall. She stopped when Tanden’s feet were level with her midsection. Careful not to brush against him, she carefully braced both feet and one hand. Removing the loop from her neck, she put the robe into Tanden’s open hand, then leaned back against the rock wall. She began to shiver.

  Tanden put the loop around his own neck before reaching down to stroke her cheek. “Thank you. Be brave, girl, you’ve saved us all. I can get us the rest of the way to the top. Are you with me?”

  Tanden could see she was making an obvious effort to control her trembling, but the tears continued down her streaked face. She nodded and gave him a half-hearted smile.

  Amazed at her change, he easily recalled that dozens of times he wanted to toss her overboard into the sea. Her brutal, biting, bitter tongue had lashed at everyone, time and time again. Her demands for her mistress to be pampered and waited on day and night grated on the nerves of every crew member. I-Sheera still looked like the same crude, vicious harpy, but she certainly wasn’t the same woman.

  Living on the edge of life and death changed many a person, he mused. During the war against the Hummdhars, he’d seen his share of battlefield transformations. Good men changed to bad, bad men to worse, and the worst of men turning to the six gods or, if their magic prevailed, to one of the orders. With a mental shrug, Tanden brought his focus back to the present.

  “Follow me as best you can. Do you hear?”

  “As you command.”

  Tanden climbed, not stopping until he was a few feet short of where Gadon sat perched on a ledge barely wide enough for his heavyset body. I-Sheera was just below him.

  He thought, “She looks about ready to quit. We’re all tired. I’ve got to drive them forward.” He said. “Gadon, are you all right?”

  Gadon said, “All right? The man asks if I’m all right. My stomach has left me to look for a master that’ll feed him. I’m cold. I’m sitting on the hardest rock on the face of the earth and you have the gall to ask if I’m all right? What kind of brother are you, to torture such a sweet tempered man as me?”

  Tanden replied, “Good, I’m glad you’re well.” He ignored Gadon’s snorted response, in better times Gadon would have broken wind in his face and laughed the night away.

  “Durrban, how about you?”

  “Captain?”

  “Yes, Durrban?”

  Durrban asked, “Captain, can you get us out of here?”

  “Yes, I can. Trust me.”

  Durrban said, “Then I’m as well as can be expected. Tell me what to do.”

  Tanden took a breath before he said, “Listen to me. This chimney isn’t wide, but we have to change positions.” Over Gadon’s protests, he continued, “We need to be cautious passing each other. I need to get above Durrban. I’m tall enough to brace myself across the chimney and I can work my way above the slick spot without handholds. I have I-Sheera’s robe with me and I believe the cloth is strong enough I can tie one end above us then lower it down so each of you, in turn, can use it as a rope to climb up the rest of the way.”

  Gadon asked, “Tie it to what? I can’t see anything to even grab on to.”

  Tandon answered, “Something. I’ll find something.”

  Without a hint of complaint in his voice, Gadon said, “Hand me the cloth, let me do it.”

  Tanden said, “Thank you, Gadon, but I don’t think you have the height to make the climb, nor does Durrban. But, I have to ask you to give I-Sheera your seat. She needs to rest before climbing further.”

  “What!” Gadon shouted. “Let the harpy fall. Haven’t I been brutalized enough these past weeks? Tanden, this’s too much, even for me.”

  Tanden could tell Gadon was truly angry and rightfully so.

  “Do it for me, Gadon. Please do it because I’m asking, not commanding, but asking.” Without waiting for a response, he spoke further, “Durrban, move to a place where I can pass you to go higher. Gadon, once I’m above you, trade places with I-Sheera. I want you below her. Try not to touch one another, we need to keep from increasing the chance of someone slipping. We need to be quick, but also very careful.”

  Climbing past Gadon was much easier than Tanden expected. Many small holes and rough chunks pockmarked the general area, so hand and footholds plentiful. As he slid past his friend, he heard the man cursing under his breath and chuckling as he broke wind in Tanden’s face.

  When they were face-to-face Gadon whispered, “Tanden are you all right? I see blood on your back.”


  Tanden said, “I’m as well as I can be expected. I’ll live. It’s over and done with. We need to keep moving forward, my friend. We’ll overcome each obstacle in its turn.” Tanden spoke with more conviction than he felt.

  He had made a commitment to his father back in Harkelle. He must keep moving forward. To stop was to fail. He might not be able to get started again if he stopped.

  Durrban braced himself as deep into the back of the chimney as possible. He was small and did his best to become smaller, giving Tanden as much room to pass him as possible. Tanden smiled at his crewman as he went past.

  There were no handholds above the men. Tanden twisted sideways letting his tortured back fall against one side of the chimney while bracing both feet against the opposite side. He dreaded putting his savaged back in contact with the rock again. Strangely, the cool wall felt comforting as it drew out the sting.

  Working with his back and shoulders on one side of the chimney, pressing his hands hard against the slick wall, he walked his feet up the other side until he reached a choke point that was wide enough for Tanden to squeeze through. Just above the narrow spot, the chimeny opened wider providing easy access to the top. He could clearly see the open sky above. Handholds were plentiful, but there was no place to tie the cloth.

  Taking the robe from around his neck, he unwound it. He braced his legs across the crack, just above the choke point where if formed a seat-like ledge on each side of the chimney. He tied the cloth around his right thigh, leaving enough cloth to reach the others.

  Lowering the cloth down, he called, “Durrban, can you reach the robe?”

  Durrban said, “Yes, Captain.”

  “Good. Use the robe as much as you need to, but try to brace your feet against the sides as much as possible. Try not to put all of your weight on the robe.”

  Tanden felt a quick tug on the robe, then a hard pull yanked his thigh against the rock. He was braced well enough to keep his position. Reaching under his thigh, he grabbed the cloth with both hands. Locking his elbows, he clenched his teeth and leaned back.

  In short order, Tanden heard Durrban’s voice from just below, “Captain?”

  Releasing his grip on the robe with his left hand, Tanden leaned forward, thrusting his open hand down between his legs toward the climbing sailor. Durrban grabbed the offered hand and scrambled up through the opening. The pressure release on Tanden’s thigh was a welcome relief, however short-lived. Still below was the girl, light as she was, but just below her was heavy Gadon.

  Durrban stood over Tanden with his legs spread across the opening. He removed his shirt. Folding it carefully, he bent down and slipped the padding under Tanden’s thigh.

  He said, “Thank you, Captain. The green order blesses you.”

  “You’re welcome, Durrban. Now finish the climb. It’s getting dark fast and you’ll need to help the others as they reach the top.”

  Durrban nodded and climbed.

  Tanden re-grasped the robe, braced and called down, “Girl, it’s your turn.”

  He closed his eyes, enduring gentle tugs and soft jerks on the robe. Quickly, the servant girl climbed up through the gap. The light was fading rapidly. Tanden saw the determination on her face as she climbed past.

  Tanden heard Durrban from above say, “Oh crap!”

  Tanden looked upward. Durrban had reached the top and climbed on through. He couldn’t see anything that caused the concern in the sailor’s voice. It wasn’t in the man’s nature to utter even a mild curse. They had to hurry, he didn’t want to be climbing after dark and called up, “Durrban, I-Sheera is coming up, you need to help her. Gadon?”

  “Yes, yes, yes, I’m ready. Hurry the woman. I can barely see the rope, not that it matters, I doubt it will hold a man of my healthy proportions.”

  “It’d better hold. It’s all we have. Climb fast, my friend, but be careful or you’ll drag us both down. I’m not ready to die quite yet.”

  A taut strain on the robe caught Tanden by surprise. His butt slipped toward the hole. He rapidly flexed his legs and pressed his back toward the rock wall behind him. After re-seating himself, he grabbed the robe tightly with both hands. He resisted the urge to call Gadon and ask him to move faster.

  He clenched is eyes tightly shut and clamped his teeth in a hard grimace. His jaw muscles working in sympathy with his body as he strained to support Gadon’s climb.

  Gadon’s hands grabbed at Tanden’s legs as the man pulled himself up to the shelf just above the choke point. Tanden sighed and released his hold on the robe, letting the tension ease from his body. He flexed his hands to get the blood moving back into them. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see that is was almost full dark. He could barely make out Gadon’s face anxiously studying his own.

  Tanden’s mouth was dry and his voice raspy from the strain. “Shit! Oh, sorry. Gadon, up!” He was too exhausted to say more.

  Slowly, he slid Durrban’s shirt from under his leg and tucked it into his trousers for safekeeping. After he pulled the robe up to his lap, he unknotted the loop around his leg and tied the robe into a long loop, dropping it over his neck. With his boots and the robe bundled around his neck and shoulders, he was beginning to feel like a pack animal.

  He turned and looked out to sea for the first time in what seemed like hours. Night had fallen in earnest with the stars shining brightly in the small section of the sky he could see. A bright moon wouldn’t rise for a few hours. If he remembered his charts, only the Potato, the Rose, and Deering would be in the sky this evening. Even if the Potato and the Rose were up, they were the two smallest moons and would not provide enough light to continue climbing. Deering was the largest of the six moons and would flood the area with its light, but it wouldn’t rise until after midnight.

  Tanden vigorously rubbed his legs. He was beginning to wonder if he was trying to get the blood moving or stalling for time. He looked up at the small patch of visible stars. Gadon had achieved the cliff top. The chimney was completely dark now as he worked his way upright from his sitting position. He needed to move. not moving was not a viable option.

  He said to himself, “Well, the hard part was past. I can do this last part with my eyes closed.”

  Smiling in the darkness, he climbed with his back to the sea. His only measure of distance was glancing at the small patch of dark sky above him that grew ever larger with each upward thrust. He could hear the others talking and moving about on the cliff top, but not enough to make out their words clearly. He wondered if he had trouble hearing them because he was too tired to focus on sounds or if he was still far enough below them that the rocks muffled the sound.

  A cool wisp of sea breeze ruffling his hair was the first sign he had gained the top of the cliff. He threw his arms out before him over the still warm rock. Locking his hands into a small crack, he swung his legs up, levering his body up and over the cliff edge to lie flat out on the rock. He wanted to lie still, sucking in the cool night air and let the heat from the stones warm his aching, scraped, bruised body. He was frustrated even in that simple pleasure.

  Before he could draw a second breath and long before he thought to look for the other three, Tanden heard Gadon shouting, “Get up, Tanden. Hurry! Come on, hurry!” Durrban and I-Sheera were also yelling at him to move quickly.

  Tanden got to his feet. The night air cleared his head enough to wonder why all three were perched on a large flat rock a few feet away. He took a step toward them, placing his foot down on a pile of rocks that seemed to move on its own, slipping over and under his feet. Tired or not, Tanden jumped forward to land sprawling on the rock with his friends. Rolling to his feet, he looked around.

  Gadon, Durrban, and I-Sheera stood with their backs to each other, along the edges of the large flat stone. Even in the dark, with only the starlight to see by, all around them were dark shadows slithering in the darker shadows. As far as he was able to see in the dim light, rock upon rock, stone upon stone into the darkness beyond, thin shadows moved on the
ground. The three were busy kicking at any shadow attempting to crawl up on the rocks with them.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Snakes,” Durrban said unnecessarily.

  Tanden asked, “You were the first to reach to top with some small measure of light left. What did you see?”

  “Green help me! I saw snakes everywhere. I hate snakes.” He accompanied each phrase with a kick at a shadowy snake, some imagined and some he sent flying off into the darkness. “There isn’t any green near enough for me to gather enough magic to keep this rock clear. A magician or a priest might, but I don’t have the talent or the training. These spawn of the dark demons don’t offer any green movement for me to harvest magic from.”

  Their conversation was sprinkled with shuffling feet punctuated by kicks at shadows.

  Tanden gingerly sat on the stone in the middle. He hurriedly untangled his boots and pulled them onto his bruised aching feet. The feeling of snakes squishing between his toes was one he was sure he would not soon forget. He handed Durrban his shirt, then unwound I-Sheera’s robe and handed it back to her, with a quick suggestion that she wrap it around her shoulders to keep her legs free.

  Gadon said, “This is a great finish to a really foul day. These things make my skin crawl. Tanden, remind me to put a knife through my heart if I ever sail with you again.”

  I-Sheera spoke, “Snakes aren’t so bad if you cook them right.” Over the sounds of Gadon’s disgust, she continued in a familiar, whiny voice, “I’d think that you of all people would appreciate such a wonderful delicacy. Catch us a juicy one, Gadon, you great man of valor. Let’s see how they taste raw.”

  The whiny, nasal tone she used was the voice that made the hairs stand up on Tanden’s neck. Everyone on the ship was accustomed to this voice. It was one Tanden wished he would never hear again.

  Before Gadon could spit back a retort, Tanden said, “Enough, girl. You too, Gadon. Problems don’t go away by themselves, so we have to deal with it, or we can’t retake the White Wind. What else did anyone see? Gadon?”