by L. L. McNeil
‘We can’t possibly expect him to pay for us to get all the way back to Niversai.’
‘Perhaps, perhaps not. He may accompany us—he was trading there throughout the airship races with Anahrik. He may have unfinished business and wish to return to the city,’ Moroda suggested, trying to think of ways around the situation. ‘Or, worst comes to the worst, we could fly back with Amarah? Offer to work for her, prepare her weaponry and armour, re-stock, clean, cook, if it came to it. We’ll be fine, Eryn. Please, please try not to worry.’
Her sister sighed, busying herself by picking at a fraying thread on her cloak. ‘I’m sure you’re right.’
‘That’s settled then. You saved me from the dungeon. I’ll make sure to get us both home safe and sound, and all the better for the knowledge this trip will bring.’ Moroda knew her sister did not believe her, but couldn’t face the argument. Given the unease in their companions, squabbling between themselves wouldn’t help matters, and they had to remain united, now more than ever. She always took Eryn’s guidance, always. But she had to stand firm, and Eryn knew it as much as she did.
She took out the last biscuit from her bag, and snapped it in two, offering Eryn the larger piece. ‘We’ll get through this together, Ryn. Promise.’
Chapter Eleven
Moroda was grateful the rest of their day remained trouble-free as far as attacks on the airship went. They had a clear path to their destination by following the river, and the skies were empty save Anahrik and Kohl. She found it comforting to look up into the beautiful blue and watch the falcon float on the wind, dive back towards the ship, and soar past with ease and grace. Amarah’s words from that morning echoed in her mind—if she had a ship of her own, she’d be able to dance on the wind just as Anahrik did.
She mused it over, and even took the idea to her sister, who scoffed that they were about a year too late. Moroda had to laugh at their fate. Eryn was right of course (she was rarely wrong), but had she shown any interest in learning to fly a year or two ago, the purchase of a small ship wouldn’t have been a problem. Leaving Eryn to nap in the cramped cabin, Moroda returned to the deck. She enjoyed keeping an eye on their journey and watching the country of Corhaven pass beneath them while Palom, Morgen and Sapora remained out at the front of the ship. Moroda could sense their unease with each other, but it was very decidedly Palom and Morgen against Sapora.
She had grown familiar enough with Amarah’s presence that much of the fear she held for the woman was rapidly diminishing, and she felt brave enough to speak openly with her after they had been on the wing a few hours. ‘When did you purchase this airship?’
‘Seven years ago.’
‘Wow, it looks so new! You must have maintained it very well.’
Amarah turned from the wheel to look at Moroda, suspicion evident in her narrowed eyes. ‘You wanna buy it off me?’
‘No, no, nothing like that. But I would be curious to have my own. A ship of this size would be perfect, I think.’
‘You Goldstones are all the same. Throw coins at everything you like to claim for yourself.’
‘I…I didn’t mean any offence.’ Moroda said, shaking her head and feeling flushed. ‘I only meant to say…you’re so lucky to have all this, and the freedom it grants you.’
‘Nothing lucky about it! I didn’t wake up one morning to find this ship sat outside! Damn hard work. That’s how I got there. Have you ever done a day’s work in your life, Goldstone?’
Moroda lowered her gaze; she hated when Amarah used the slang term for nobility to describe her or her sister. She wasn’t considered a Goldstone any more, and hadn’t been considered one since the death of her father. She and Eryn had worked incredibly hard in the weeks that followed, trying as best they could to keep afloat. As much as she wanted to tell Amarah she was wrong, she hated arguing, and the comments were so belittling that Moroda lost interest in proving the falsehood.
Unfortunately, it appeared Amarah harboured resentment towards those with seemingly more than her. Moroda’s initial bravery began to dwindle again at Amarah’s blunt words.
‘You even know how to clean anything properly? Or did your servants do all that for you while you learned to dance?’ Amarah whirled round to focus on the wheel, and thrust the engines forward, jolting the ship. ‘I paid for this in blood, sweat, and gold. A whole double-crown I paid for it. The only one I’ve ever seen, and I paid a seller for this ship. I could have lived off that money for half a year if I wanted to.’
Moroda decided not to respond lest she received another scathing reply. Amarah’s words hit home again—the only double- crown she’d ever seen. They were the most valuable of all Linaria’s currency, and yet she and Eryn regularly saw them when their father returned from his trips away. He had once brought back a tea box from somewhere deep in Ranski—it was ornately decorated with gold and silver, carved out of red wood and embellished with the jewels of the Samolen. It had been a gift for them, yet when their money began to dwindle, Moroda had traded it for six double- crowns at one of Niversai’s auction houses. The money had lasted them four weeks.
‘Cleaning the mansions of Goldstones was damn hard work, let me tell you. Glad I packed that in when I did,’ Amarah continued, despite Moroda’s silence. ‘Awful people, really. No concept of value. Learning to fly was the best thing I ever did.
Could leave whenever I wanted, go wherever I wanted. Never had to rely on anyone again.’
Moroda listened quietly, internalising everything the pirate said. Amarah’s words echoed in her mind, and she felt more distant from the older woman than before. Amarah’s strength was her self- reliance and unwillingness to compromise. She showed no fear, not even of Sapora, and had a prideful confidence in herself above all else. Moroda felt helpless in the best of situations. All she had known was a life of ease and luxury, where everything she needed was catered to. Her world had collapsed around her when her family’s income disappeared, and she now found herself reliant upon this odd group of people to carry her to her next step in life. It was clear she didn’t know how to cope, no matter what she said to convince herself or Eryn.
‘I’m stopping here for a bit,’ Amarah called out suddenly, bringing Moroda back to the present.
‘What? Why? What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong. There’s fishing here,’ Amarah replied, pointing ahead.
‘Fishing? But we have food?’
‘Exactly. We know that food is safe. Better to eat new things when you can, while you know you’ve got a stash somewhere.’
Moroda was confused, but didn’t want to ask more lest Amarah snapped at her.
‘Stopping for fish does not seem the best course of action when we are trying to get somewhere quickly,’ Sapora said.
‘My ship, my rules,’ Amarah replied, keeping her eyes on the ground as she carefully manoeuvred Khanna to a flat patch of grass near a particularly wide section of the river.
‘It’s getting warm. Fish’ll dry out in the sun and we’ll be on our way.’
Moroda tried to hide her smile at Amarah’s words to Sapora, and gazed at the river where dozens of fish splashed about at the surface, turning it from blue to a foamy white. The thrum of the engines quietened before stopping altogether as the airship landed gently.
‘What’s happening?’ Eryn asked, emerging from the hold and watching Amarah scramble overboard.
‘Amarah’s decided to go fishing,’ Moroda answered with a sigh.
‘Oh,’ Eryn rubbed the sleep from her eyes. ‘Should… should we go too, do you think?’
‘Yes, why not? It’ll be good to stretch our legs and get off the ship for a short while.’
The two girls clambered down the side, and the others were soon to follow. By the time they were off the ship, Amarah had already taken her boots off, rolled up her breeches, and had waded out into the river until the water was nearly waist high.
‘She’s very keen,’ Morgen commented, standing next to the sisters. ‘I’d have b
een testing the depth and making sure the current wasn’t too strong before taking my boots off.’
‘Just shows how reckless she is,’ Sapora added, folding his arms and watching their captain fish. ‘But she is the only way out of Corhaven….’
Moroda sat down on the grass by the riverbank. It was a lush, rich green, no doubt from the constant watering, and she splayed her hands wide, enjoying the feel of the blades between her fingers. She had no intention of getting in the water herself, and was perfectly content to watch Amarah.
Morgen and Eryn joined her, sitting down cross-legged and picking at the grass while watching. Though happy with their company, she found Sapora’s lingering presence unnerving. She still hadn’t seen him attack, or attempt to attack, anyone on board, but the fear she felt around him was instinctive—yet she wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt before judging them. With Sapora, though, she found it very hard.
A sudden splash distracted her from her thoughts, and she looked up just in time to see Amarah grab a silvery-blue fish from the water.
‘Gotcha!’ Amarah yelled, pleased with her catch: a large, fat catfish about a foot long. It thrashed around in her hands, trying to escape, but the pirate’s grip was too strong, and it could not slip away. ‘Goldstone! Catch!’ she called, tossing the fish towards the shore.
Moroda half stood from her sitting position, caught off guard and with little time to think. She raised her hands, palms wide, and blinked. In the half-second it had taken, Sapora had darted in front of her and caught it by the tail, dangling it and watching as the fish continued to wriggle.
‘What…where did…?’ Moroda stammered. Sapora had been stood behind her. How had he managed to move so quickly, without her noticing? She stood up and stepped backwards, looking to Eryn and Morgen.
‘Not a bad catch,’ Sapora said, ignoring Moroda’s stammers. ‘A few more like this and we’ll be well fed.’ He turned round and slunk back to the airship, taking the fish with him.
Eryn and Morgen were both on their feet, too, watching Sapora as he casually walked back to the grounded airship. ‘Must he behave like that? He could have asked you to give it to him, Ro,’ Eryn said, still watching Sapora as he got on board.
‘I don’t know,’ Moroda said, shaking her head and looking back to Amarah, who was still busy in the middle of the river.
Morgen sat down once Sapora had disappeared inside. ‘Don’t worry about him. He just enjoys throwing his weight around and trying to unsettle us. I’ve met hundreds like him,’ he reassured the girls. ‘Try to forget him.’
‘You’re right,’ Eryn agreed, sitting down again. ‘Of course, Ro, if you hadn’t freed him, he might have burned in the dragon’s fire and none of us would have to deal with him in the first place.’
‘Ryn!’
‘It’s the truth! You’re far too forgiving, Ro. In fact, if I hadn’t freed you, Morgen here would have killed you,’ Eryn said, turning to the soldier with a scowl.
Morgen sighed, looking from the grass to Amarah, but not at either of the sisters. ‘I truly am sorry for how we met. I was following orders to arrest you,’ he said. ‘Everyone was acting strangely, maybe because of Aciel being in the castle, maybe not. I don’t know.’
‘No excuse,’ Eryn said. Moroda knew her sister would take more convincing, and it appeared she still hadn’t forgiven Morgen. ‘You would have soon had an order to behead her. Would you have followed your orders then?’
‘No!’ Morgen replied, looking at Eryn as he spoke. ‘I felt awful about Moroda being in the cell in the first place. Everything was…all so different to how it normally would have been. I thought I was escorting her away from the castle grounds…I’d maybe deliver a fine to her…but the King’s orders couldn’t be disobeyed. At least she was safe and out of harm’s way in the cell.’
‘Out of harm’s way? You put her in a cell with a Varkain! I’m amazed she was alive when I found her!’
‘There were so few of us in the castle, we had no choice,’ Morgen said.
‘Ryn, please, it’s okay,’ Moroda interrupted. ‘I knew there was something different about the city that day. It might have been because of Aciel, it might not. I was sure nothing would happen,’ she said, though she had barely convinced herself of that when she had been locked up.
‘Really,’ her sister scoffed, shaking her head. ‘Morgen you’re doing well enough to redeem yourself. Paying for lodging and food, and arranging for us to travel more securely. But don’t think for one minute I trust you won’t try and arrest us when we get back to Niversai.’
‘Please, Ryn,’ Moroda tried again.
‘What promise do we have from you that you’ll let us leave in peace?’ Eryn continued, ignoring her sister.
‘I’ll give you my word? I can’t do any more than that,’ Morgen replied.
‘Your word? The word of your captain is stronger than that. What happens if he orders you otherwise?’
‘Ryn…’
‘Moroda, I’m trying to ensure our safety when we get home!’ Eryn said, raising her voice for the first time since they had left. ‘If we even get home. At this rate, we’d be better off walking to Berel and back.’
‘I might not even return to Niversai,’ Morgen admitted. ‘I’ve not been happy there for a while. I was the one who arrested Moroda, not any of my captains. With everything that’s gone on, I doubt they’d even recognise you by the time you went back.’
His answer seemed to pacify Eryn for the time being.
‘Fish!’ Amarah called, giving the three only a few seconds to catch another wide-finned catfish thrust in their direction. It was a welcome break from the argument, and Moroda was doubly pleased with herself for managing to catch it this time.
Grinning, she looked further downriver to see a tiger stood in the rushing waters, two fish clamped between his massive teeth. A pile of fish on the river bank showed his hunt was so far more successful than Amarah’s, but Moroda supposed he had four legs in the water, better senses, and quicker reflexes. She was pleased their stop was not in vain and they would all eat well until they reached their destination. Although friendly, Palom and Anahrik kept to themselves. They were only allies in the loosest sense of the term, but perhaps it was a distrust of Amarah which fuelled it. She knew the pirate’s manner and speech were uncouth, and she often came back with biting remarks to the most innocent of comments, but Moroda was sure she wasn’t as bad as perhaps she wanted others to think.
Moroda watched the tiger wade through the water, whiskers bristling as he searched for movement below the surface, striking at just the right moment and often bringing up more than one fish at a time. Moroda marvelled at his efficiency and raised her eyebrows to Amarah, who caught one fish for every three of Palom’s.
‘Looks like you have some competition, Amarah,’ Moroda ventured.
The sky pirate glanced over her shoulder at Moroda’s words, but shrugged and took a few steps along the river, knees bent slightly as she fought the current.
‘Help me carry these fish onboard, Morgen,’ Eryn said, standing up and pointing to Palom’s pile of fish.
Whether it was the tone in Eryn’s voice, or the fact Morgen was used to receiving orders, he stood up without question and followed her down to where Palom was fishing, leaving Moroda to catch anything Amarah threw haphazardly in her direction. Moroda was unwilling to speak with Eryn while she was in such a foul mood, so she remained quiet as they left.
She mulled over her sister’s anger, regardless, and her gaze returned to the sky pirate. ‘Amarah? Do you remember, back in the cell in Niversai, there was a loose stone slab on the floor?’ Moroda asked, hoping she would be too busy to snap back at her.
‘What about it?’ Amarah asked, shifting in the water, her back to Moroda.
‘Well, under the slab…were some florins.’
‘Yep. Three of ‘em. Some poor bugger must’ve stashed them there before they died.
Moroda frowned, wondering how to word he
r question. ‘It was me.’
‘What was you?’
‘The poor bugger who left them there.’ She giggled nervously. ‘I…I hid them, when I was arrested. It’s all the coin I had left.’
Amarah stood straight up and looked over her shoulder at her. ‘Those three florins? Your only money?’
Moroda wasn’t sure she liked the fact she now had Amarah’s full attention, but she was pleased she had finally spoken to her about it. At least Eryn wouldn’t chide her for not asking for them back.
‘All I had left, yes,’ Moroda confirmed with a nod.
Amarah burst into hysterics, splashing the water about herself with her hands. ‘A Goldstone with three florins? Really? What has Linaria come to? Maybe the world really is about to end!’
Moroda blinked and lowered her head. She was not used to being made a mockery of, and had no idea how to deal with such a response. ‘So, you’ll give them back?’
‘Don’t be stupid, girl. The florins are your payment for this trip, aren’t they?’
Moroda stood up, shocked. ‘What? But… Morgen paid you our travel fare? This morning? In the forest?’
‘Travel fare? You Goldstones make me laugh. The florins are mine. You want money, you damn well better work for it. What’s a florin to you, anyway? Pocket money? No, that’s ridiculous. You probably got a couple of crowns in pocket money, didn’t you?’
‘But they’re mine, you have to give them back?’
Amarah turned to face Moroda fully, the river water rushing about her. ‘Come and make me, then.’
Moroda glanced around, but Eryn and Morgen were on the ship with Sapora, Palom was further downriver, and Anahrik and Kohl were not in sight.
‘Well? I’m waiting.’ Amarah wasn’t smiling any more.
‘But…But I…But that’s not fair!’ Moroda had always hated conflict, and she actively avoided confrontations. Her heart raced, and she regretted mentioning the subject.
‘Not fair? Then sit down and shut up about your florins. You were born never having to worry about food or clothes or money. I didn’t have that luxury. How is that fair on me? It isn’t! I had to work for every penny I ever had. I didn’t expect anyone to pick me up every time I made a mistake, to get me through to tomorrow.’