The Star Shepherd

by Dan Haring

  Kyro nearly dropped his lunch. He leapt up and ran toward the sailors.

  “Excuse me?” he called. They swung around, and one of them laughed.

  “Yes?” the sailor said. He was a young man with sun-weathered skin and a ring piercing his nose.

  “Are you in need of help on your ship? I can do odd jobs and wash floors.”

  The group laughed. “Sorry, mate, but we’ve already got a shipboy. If you want passage, you’ll have to pay the captain.”

  Kyro trailed after the group as they returned to the ship, hoping to think of something, anything, he could say that might make them change their minds.

  Nothing came to him, but he did see the ship they boarded. It was a large steamship that ran on coal and had new clockwork rigging for the sails. His father would have loved to see this, he was sure. A fascinating system of ropes, pulleys, chains, and cogs controlled the sails all from a single panel of buttons in the ship’s bridge. There was no need for the extra manual labor like on other ships, but the rigging was very expensive. Chances were that a ticket to board this ship would be expensive too.

  Kyro’s heart sunk as he put his hand in his pack and ran his fingers over the two small coins at the bottom. That was all they had left of their last stipend from the Star Shepherd Council, which would be cut off now that they were banned from watching the stars. No way could he afford a real ticket.

  His stomach growled again, the meager meal he had just eaten already souring in his gut. There was some food left in the cabinets of his home. If he could even go home. What if the Council had already sent someone to lock up their tower?

  Kyro shook off his fears and made up his mind. He couldn’t risk the Black Lands again without a working cart, and he couldn’t pay for a ticket. He hated to do it, but he was going to have to stow away on a ship, and pray he didn’t get caught.

  Kyro and Cypher strolled as casually as they could up and down the docks, watching the ships and hanging around long enough to discern their destinations. The ship those sailors he’d spoken to earlier worked on was the only one headed to Drenn. Now Kyro just had to figure out how to get in one of the crates they were loading onto the ship.

  He sat down by the trough where they’d eaten earlier and was considering his options when he spied a familiar tall figure haggling with a fishmonger further down the docks.

  Suddenly Kyro knew exactly what to do. After all, Jakris had told him he wanted to help.

  He approached Jakris just as he turned away from the fishmonger, swinging a couple silver fish strung on a small pole. Surprise ran over Jakris’s face.

  “Kyro, why aren’t you on your way home?”

  Kyro kicked at a rock stuck between the boards.

  “Remember when you said you wished you could help?” He smiled hopefully.

  Jakris studied Kyro for a moment. “The Council would censure me if I paid your way on a ship so soon after you’ve been cast out of our ranks.”

  “Oh, no, I wouldn’t dream of asking you to pay my way. But do they have any rules about causing a little distraction?”

  Jakris’s eyes widened. “What do you need a distraction for?”

  Kyro grinned, trying to exude more confidence than he felt, even though his stomach twisted. “So I can sneak on board. I can’t go across the Black Lands again. I almost lost my dog on the way here.”

  Jakris laughed. “You are very different than your father, Kyro.” He paused, then sighed. “All right, I shall help you. There are no rules against that.”

  Relief flooded Kyro. “Thank you. Cypher and I will walk past that ship over there”—he pointed to the one headed for Drenn—“and then we’ll double back and duck down behind those crates waiting to be loaded into the hull. If you can distract the sailors, then we can crawl inside one of the crates.”

  “All right,” Jakris said with a wink. “This might actually be fun. Definitely more than the Council.”

  Kyro picked up his things, Cypher at his heels. His heart drummed against his rib cage as he neared the big ship. A thousand questions swam through his brain. If he was caught, what would they do to him? What if the sailors on the docks noticed him doubling back? What if he got into the wrong crate and ended up on the wrong ship? What if Jakris was terrible at causing distractions? Or worse, what if he told on him?

  He walked past the steamer and then another ship, a schooner, before doubling back and ducking down behind one of the large shipping crates. Next to the ship was a giant pulley and a platform that rose and fell using gears as big as Kyro himself. He held his breath, hoping Jakris was true to his word and gave him the opening he would need to get safely inside the crate with Cypher.

  A few moments later, Jakris’s tall shadow fell over the nearby sailors.

  “Hey!” Jakris yelled. “I know you. You cheated me out of a hundred gold pieces at cards last week.” Kyro peeked around the crate to see Jakris, in all his intimidating glory, shoving his finger into one of the sailor’s chests. The sailor’s friends came to his defense.

  “You’ve got the wrong man, mate! We were aboard The Celestine down near Peliana last week.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so,” Jakris growled. “I never forget a face.”

  All the sailors had their backs to Kyro. This was his chance. He scooped up Cypher and opened the lid of the crate as quietly as he could. He peeked inside. It was filled with straw and a few large pieces of wood and planks. Probably destined for the woodworker in the Drenn marketplace. Kyro hopped inside and nestled into the hay between the pieces, then closed the lid of the crate. The latch caught automatically.

  Outside, Jakris wrapped up his ploy.

  “Really? You’re sure you weren’t in this port?”

  “Yes, for the last time. Now go away and let us do our jobs.”

  “You got a brother?” he asked.

  “No!”

  Jakris mumbled something else, and then, through a crack in the crate, Kyro watched him walk back toward the town.

  Kyro sighed. Now all he had to do was wait.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kyro and Cypher huddled together in the crate, the sky above growing darker, while they waited for it to be loaded into the hull of the steamship. At first, fear of discovery kept them alert, but eventually they dozed off.

  They were jolted awake by the crate bumping and moving. Kyro bit his tongue and clung to Cypher.

  “I swear these things get heavier as the day goes on,” one of the sailors complained.

  “That’s ’cause you’re a weakling,” another said, and several voices joined in the laughter.

  The crate jolted and lurched until it hit the floor inside the cargo hold. Voices shouted, and someone patted the crate with a heavy hand. It reverberated all the way to Kyro’s teeth.

  “That’s the last of them,” said a sailor nearby. “Tell the captain we’re ready to raise anchor.”

  Footsteps ran up the stairs, but another man pattered around the hold for a while longer. Every step echoed back to Kyro, scraping against his nerves. He wrapped his arms around his knees and remained as still as he possibly could. To his relief, Cypher soon fell asleep next to him. One less thing to worry about.

  Now all he had to do was wait it out until they docked in Drenn. Then they could sneak off this ship and go home to the watchtower.

  Hopefully, it would be easier than the rest of their trip had been.

  * * *

  Kyro fell asleep just before the ship departed, but when he woke up a few hours later, he began to wonder if the ocean might be worse than the Black Lands after all. He’d never been on a boat before. His father only left his tower when he had to visit the Council, and Kyro didn’t go farther than the docks in Drenn.

  But he weathered the swaying and dipping and the drops in his stomach the best he could. When the ship hit a rough patch, his gut lurch
ed into his throat. Kyro tried valiantly to hold it in, but it was too much. He retched in a corner of the container and accidentally woke up Cypher. The dog let out a startled yelp.

  “What was that?” said a sailor’s voice.

  Kyro froze. He hadn’t realized anyone had come down here. Sweat trickled down his back, and he spit the sour taste from his mouth, not daring to grab his canteen until the sailor went on his way.

  “Who’s there?” the voice called again. “If there’s a stowaway down here, you’d best come out now and we might not throw you overboard.”

  Kyro shivered. Please don’t let him be serious.

  A creak echoed as the sailor pried open one of the other crates. Would he go through all of them? Should Kyro surrender or hope he might remain undiscovered?

  His hesitation cost him. When the sailor found nothing in the first crate, he moved over to Kyro’s, and before he knew what was happening, the sailor yanked him from the crate by his shirt collar in one hand and Cypher in the other.

  “What have we here?” It was one of the sailors Kyro had encountered on the docks earlier in the day. Recognition crossed the man’s face. “I remember you. You were the scamp trying to get free passage this morning.”

  He dropped the pair unceremoniously to the floor and loomed over Kyro. “I’ve got news for you, boy. The captain doesn’t take kindly to stowaways. None of us do.” The sailor shoved Cypher into Kyro’s hands and then dragged him up the stairs to the main deck.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  The sailor laughed. “What? Didn’t mean to sneak into the crate and take a nap? I’m sure that’s exactly what happened.”

  Fear slid over Kyro’s skin and sank into his bones.

  When they reached the main deck, the boat swayed hard and Kyro stumbled, but the sailor ensured he stayed upright. The ocean spread out as far as the eye could see in every direction, frothy and fuming and teeming with unseen life. Queasiness washed over him again.

  The sailor carted him past several other scowling crew members, then straight up to a cabin at one end of the ship. He opened the door and pushed Kyro and Cypher inside.

  Kyro guessed it was the captain’s quarters. The room had several tables filled with maps and various seafaring instruments that he didn’t recognize. Shelves of books and knickknacks, many of which glinted with gold, lined the walls. Kyro nearly started when he caught sight of one thing he did recognize, tucked between two books: a pair of starglass goggles. Behind the desk at the center of the room sat a woman with wildly curly dark hair and a grim expression. Kyro gulped. He was beyond curious to know what she was doing with a rare item like starglass goggles, but was too afraid to ask.

  “Captain Salban, I found this boy stowed away in a crate belowdecks. He was asking about passage to Drenn this morning. Guess he didn’t want to pay for a real room aboard The Celestine.”

  The woman stood and glared, towering over him. “You’re dismissed, Sully,” she said to the sailor, who ducked out of the room as quickly as he could, leaving Kyro to face the woman alone. He shrank back, and Cypher whined to be put down.

  Captain Salban perched on the edge of her desk. “So, tell me, boy, what made you think you could stow away on my ship? It’s quite rude. Don’t they teach you manners where you come from?”

  Kyro’s free hand quivered at his side. “I—I’m sorry. I was desperate to get home to Drenn.”

  Captain Salban harrumphed. “Why? And why, pray tell, are you traveling alone?”

  Kyro straightened up. “I’m not alone. I have my dog, Cypher, with me.”

  Salban laughed. “I was referring to human companions. Such as your parents.”

  Kyro stared down at his shoes. The ship lurched again, and he turned an uncomfortable shade of green.

  “Never been on a ship before, have you, boy?” She opened a drawer in her desk and handed a small hard candy to Kyro. “This will help. It’s bad enough that you stowed away. I can’t have you making a mess of my cabin too.”

  “Thank you,” he said, popping the candy in his mouth. It had an unusual spice to it, something like ginger.

  “Come, sit.” Salban gestured to a chair. “Tell me the whole story.”

  Kyro did as he was told, not daring to disobey the formidable woman. When his paws hit the floor, Cypher waltzed right up to Salban and wagged his tail like he was expecting a treat. Kyro held his breath. Salban considered the dog for a moment. Then a small smile cracked her lips, and she reached down to scratch Cypher behind the ears. Satisfied, the dog trotted back to his master and curled up under his chair.

  “My father is a Star Shepherd, and our watchtower is near the village of Drenn. I crossed the Black Lands to get to Daluth. I didn’t dare return that way.”

  Salban absorbed this information with hardly a blink. “You were there for the Star Shepherd Council meeting then. Bunch of old fools, the lot of them.” She scoffed. “Where’s your father now?”

  Kyro bristled, but tried not to let it show. To be fair, her assessment of the Council wasn’t wrong. “Yes, I was at the meeting. But my father was not. He was the reason for the meeting, actually. He went missing a week ago.”

  The captain raised an eyebrow. “You mean you crossed the Black Lands alone?”

  Kyro shivered as he nodded.

  “That’s impressive for someone so young. And incredibly foolish. What happened to your father?”

  Kyro paused. He wasn’t sure he could trust the captain, but his gut told him that he shouldn’t hold anything back. Not if he wanted to be on this ship when it reached Drenn.

  “Something is wrong with the stars. When my father told the Council, they did nothing. He believes someone is stealing them, and he’s searching for them. Now the Council has decided that he abandoned his post and has forbidden him—and me—from touching the stars ever again. I was at the meeting to plead my father’s case.”

  Salban frowned. “You left your tower with no one to watch it?”

  “A friend is watching in my absence.” At least I hope she is, Kyro thought.

  “Then I suppose I can’t say you’re irresponsible. Unlike your father.”

  Kyro’s hands balled into fists in his lap. “He’s not irresponsible. He’s trying to save the stars.”

  “And yet he left you, a novice, behind to cover his sworn duties in the process.”

  Kyro couldn’t help wondering who this woman was, and how she knew so much about Star Shepherding, but he got the sense that asking would get him into trouble.

  “He had to leave. The Council wouldn’t help; he had no other choice. He cares too much about the stars to sit back and watch them die.”

  The captain was quiet for a moment, and then her expression softened. “You’re a good son. And a brave one too. It does you credit.”

  But before she could say anything else, an awful noise sounded from the deck. It was one Kyro knew well: the sound of gears crunching when something was caught in the works.

  Captain Salban sprang up and strode onto the deck, with Kyro trailing after. Sailors raced to and fro, trying to get the ship’s sails under control. Kyro could see from here that smoke coiled out from the rigging high up on the mast.

  “What happened?” Salban grabbed the nearest crew member.

  “Not sure, Captain. The sail just stopped working as we tried to turn toward Drenn.”

  “Well, fix it!”

  “We’re not sure how. It’s brand new, and they’re supposed to last for a decade,” the sailor said.

  Kyro tugged at Captain Salban’s sleeve. “Excuse me,” he said.

  She frowned at him. “Not now. Go back to my cabin. I’ll deal with you later.”

  Kyro took a deep breath. “But I can fix the rigging, ma’am. My father was a clockmaker before he became a Star Shepherd.”

  The captain’s eyes
roved back to Kyro. “You know how to fix this?”

  His heart thundered against his ribs. I sure hope so, he thought. “Yes. I’ve seen gears that work like that before. They’re simple, really, and your sailor is right; they should last for years.”

  “Then why aren’t they working?”

  Kyro squinted up at the sails. “See those sticks? It looks like a bird made a nest in there. It’s messing up the works and probably made a cog fall out of place.” He scanned the deck, then found what he was searching for. “See, here it is.” He picked up the glinting piece of brass that had gone unnoticed over by the edge of the ship.

  Captain Salban considered Kyro for a moment longer. “All right, if you can fix that rigging, you might just earn yourself passage. Go on,” she said.

  Nervous energy filled Kyro’s limbs as he was given a harness the sailors used to clamber up the mast to the crow’s nest. He grabbed the small case of tools he had brought with him in his pack, and held his breath as one of the sailors helped him shinny up the mast.

  Don’t look down, don’t look down, Kyro said to himself over and over. With the way the mast swayed, he was very, very glad that the captain had given him that ginger candy earlier.

  When he reached the smoking part of the rigging, he set to work clearing out the empty nest. He was relieved to see that the design of the rigging was relatively simple—far simpler than his father’s cart—and with the right tools and a careful touch, he should be able to make short work of it.

  First, he gently adjusted the remaining gears that had been twisted out of place. Then he replaced the one that had fallen to the deck. He tightened a few more bolts and screws, then sighed with relief as the gears moved properly again.

  “Lower me down!” he called. Descending was far worse, but he closed his eyes and climbed down the mast, not opening them until his feet hit the boards of the deck.

  “Give it a whirl, First Mate,” the captain ordered, and the sailor behind the steering wheel turned it toward Drenn and pressed the button controlling the sails. The clockwork in the rigging clicked, and the sails pivoted. A cheer went up from the crew.