Seafaring on Jord

by Allan Joyal

  "Wow, how do they do that?" I asked. "My family farm barely ever fed more than the family after the Sere took his share."

  "They have no Sere," Ushcail said. "Right now they all work together, but they are working towards dividing the lands and giving each person their own plots of land. Yveney seemed to be looking forward to that."

  "She seems young," Hadlor said.

  "She is," Ushcail said. "But they don't have that many people. And they are definitely interested in meeting more people. However, we won't visit them right now. I want everyone to head to Gypsy after we eat. We'll sail northward for a couple of days and see what we can find. It will be five days before the goods will be here."

  "How much can we do in five days?" I asked.

  "We'll have to see. Either way we need to find that Leviathan's Banks or whatever it's called," Ushcail said. "So eat up and then report to Gypsy."

  We were standing at the front of the line. A woman I had not talked to before was tending several slabs of meat. She looked at me and then used her knife to pull one of the slabs from the fire.

  The meat was charred on the outside. I used my knife to hold it as I walked back towards the dock.

  Panalope ran up to join me. I could see that she was using her right hand to keep a steak on her knife. "It smells good," she said.

  "I hope it tastes good," I said. "Its our first hot meal since we left Isla Oerste."

  "Fire and a wooden ship are a bad combination kid," Hadlor said. "But I agree about the hot meal. My mouth is watering just from the smell. Let's get back to Gypsy and eat."

  We all headed directly to Gypsy and found places to sit on the main deck. Panalope struggled to cut her meat. Hadlor and I just took bites from the slab of meat. It proved to be still tender and juicy on the inside. There was an unusual taste to the meat, but it was pleasant.

  The savory flavor dominated my thoughts for the next few moments. It was such a pleasure to eat the hot meat that I was shocked when I went to take another bite and realized I had finished everything.

  I looked around and discovered that the others in the crew were also finished with their steaks. "I could go for more of that," Culax said.

  "In five days," Ushcail replied. "For now, let's cast off and head out to sea. We need to find the route back to the islands if we are going to be able to pay for the goods that these people are providing to us."

  "They have been very generous," Culax said. "I'm curious as to why they are so generous."

  "They are too far to engage in trade with any city they know about," Ushcail said. "And while they are capable of growing the food they need, they don't have access to some other goods they desire. A ship like ours could open up new markets. Its much like the problem Kaven noted for the islands. We have almost no wood in the islands. But look around here. There are plenty of trees and Ron assures me that his people could cut exactly what we need for any one ship."

  "Transporting them to the islands would be difficult," Culax said.

  "We probably should have looked closer at the harbor," Ushcail said. "It might be interesting to find out if it would be possible to set up a shipyard there. That would solve the problem of transporting the wood. We would just build the ships here."

  "And by doing that, we'd be out of the reach of the Seres," I said. "At least until they obtained enough ships to move an army."

  "I doubt they'd attempt to invade," Ushcail said. "We couldn't pack enough food and water to make it here and return. Oh, how are we for fresh water?"

  "We can last five days," Jessop said. "I wouldn't mind some fresh food though."

  Panalope held up the cloth bag the boy had been carrying. "They gave me this," she said. "I have no idea what to call those fruits, but there are about twenty in here. That should help."

  "They are tasty," Lucis admitted.

  "Put the bag in my cabin for now," Ushcail said. "And then let's cast off."

  "It's pretty dark at night," I said. The sun was touching the horizon and the trees lining the river had shadows almost reaching the far shore.

  "I want to get out to sea at least," Ushcail said. "We have no idea how long the coast is."

  "And we still need to find the banks where we'd turn to the west to sail back to the islands," I said with a nod.

  I wiped my knife off and sheathed it. Hadlor had already stood up and was walking to the bow to release the line. Just as he stepped up to the rope someone shouted from the dock.

  Hadlor looked up. I saw him react to something flying at him. He caught the end of the rope.

  The bow of the ship started to turn away from the bank. Hadlor turned back. "They are giving us a push to get free of the dock," he called.

  "Good," I heard Jessop reply from the stern. "The current is pushing us into the dock just a bit. We need to get the sails up if we are going to be able to move."

  “We should have brought some oars,” Culax called out.

  “Wood for oars is something all the Seres hoard and keep very careful track of. There was no way to sneak any oars onto Gypsy,” I replied calmly.

  I rushed over to the ropes attached to the mainsail. Lucis joined me and we started raising the mainsail. As the sail rose, I could feel the Gypsy shift against the wind and current.

  "The wind is light," Jessop said. "We might not be able to do much once we hit the ocean."

  "We'll still go," Ushcail said.

  "We need a lantern," Culax complained.

  "We couldn't afford the space for fuel." Ushcail replied. "Stop complaining and get on the sails. We're pulling free of the dock."

  The ship slowly turned. It got stuck for a moment when it faced directly upriver, but a push on the stern from the dock broke Gypsy free of the current. The sail caught the meager wind and we were able to slide away from the shore.

  The river's current grabbed Gypsy. Jessop shoved on the tiller as the bow turned to point the ship towards the sea. Lucis and I quickly adjusted the sail to catch the wind and we shot forward.

  "Coming to the dock was easier," Panalope said. "But how is it I never noticed the current."

  "The wind was stronger, and we were able to move against the current because of that," Jessop called out. "At least we know about it now. It looks like night sailing on the river will be restricted to going with the current."

  "I can live with that," I said as Lucis and I finally tied off the sail. I leaned on the railing and watched the sun set as Gypsy entered the ocean.

  We were only a few boat lengths from the shore when Culax looked back. "That's strange. We aren't in line with the mouth of the river," he said.

  "What?" I asked.

  "We were sailing directly away from the shore," Culax said. "But look back towards the shore. We're already a boat length or more north of the river."

  "How?" I asked.

  "An ocean current," Ushcail said. "Jessop, we need to get some scrolls. We need to chart all of these currents. And this will change our plans for the next few days."

  "Why?" I asked.

  "We'll be slower when we return," Ushcail said. "We'll be sailing against this current when we try to return. So we'll have to turn back earlier than I originally planned. Although we might be able to sail far enough from the shore to miss the current."

  "Would we see the shore?" Panalope asked.

  "Probably not," Ushcail admitted. "Not when the current is this strong and so close to shore. Jessop turn us to port and we'll reef the sails. Culax, take first watch and keep an eye on the shore."

  "Why me?" Culax muttered as the ship began to turn. Lucis and I found that the wind was so light that only a couple minute changes to the sail were required. We got everything secure and then headed to the port railing to look at the shore.

  Culax's earlier observation was made very clear. The last rays of the sun were still fading so we could see the shoreline pass as Gypsy was carried northward by the current. I strained to make out anything on the shore. We could see mostly rocky beaches and trees.
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  Panalope came and stood next to me as we watched the shoreline pass. "It's amazing," she said. "To think that we are the first people to look at this shoreline since the Empire vanished."

  "Frightening," I said. "Ron and the others said that humans were driven from this coast during the fall. My mind is coming up with some wild thoughts about what might be hidden in the darkness."

  "Lots of trees," Culax said. "That's something we desperately need. The islands never have enough wood. Now we've found more trees than we could ever harvest."

  "And what else?" I asked. "There is so much we don't know about this land. I'm sorry that I brought all of you with me. We don't know how to return to the islands and this is clearly a dangerous land."

  "We're rich men when we return," Ushcail called back. "And we will have the provisions necessary for that. That was already promised to us."

  "But how far do we have to sail to find the place where we'll turn to the east?" Panalope asked.

  "The morning might tell us that," Ushcail said. "Jessop, turn the tiller over to Panalope at midnight. Culax, you have first watch. Everyone else get some rest."

  Ushcail entered his cabin. I was going to head to the bow, but Panalope grabbed me and dragged me to the raised stern. "We'll sleep here," she commanded.

  "But," I protested.

  "No," she said firmly. "Kaven, just hold me. I'm scared."

  "You don't show it," I said.

  "I'd never allow Culax to see me frightened. He seems to be the type to take advantage," Panalope said.

  "And I'm not?" I asked petulantly. For some reason the fact that Panalope was so casual about me annoyed me more than I might have expected.

  "You seem like you want to protect me," Panalope said. "I like that."

  "Fine," I said as I followed her to the stern. Panalope pulled a scrap of cloth from under an empty barrel and spread it out on the deck. She lay down and then patted the area in front of her.

  "Come, sleep," she said. "We'll take the watch together when Jessop is ready to sleep."

  "I'm ready now," the man whispered. "But I'll give you half the night."

  I lay down with Panalope and closed my eyes. She put her arms around me and pulled her body close to mine. A moment later I could hear her breathing slow. I relaxed and allowed the rocking of the ship put me to sleep.

  "Wake up!" I heard Jessop whisper in my ear. It felt like I had been sleep for only a moment.

  I sat up and looked around. Jessop was kneeling on the deck and looking at me. He held a mug in his hands.

  "Drink," he said as he held the mug out to me.

  "Anything important?" I asked. "And where is Panalope?"

  "Your wife is already on the tiller," Jessop said with a friendly laugh.

  "We're not married," I said firmly.

  "She doesn't agree," Jessop said with a cackle of amusement.

  "Does that matter?" I asked as I took the cup and drank. The mug was filled with a bitter mixture, but I could feel my mind start to wake. I looked up over the rim of the mug to see that other than a single moon and the many stars there was no light in the night sky.

  "A man could have far worse for a wife," Jessop said with a nod towards Panalope. "Or he could have no wife at all. You should consider that."

  "I have, but we're young and I don't have much to offer a wife," I said.

  "Kaven?" Panalope called out. "There are some shadows to port."

  "In the water?" I asked.

  "No, in the air," Panalope said.

  I stood up and turned to look over the port railing. "Bow or stern, how big and how high?" I asked.

  "In this darkness its hard to say, but I'd guess smaller than a person. They were running alongside for a short time at about the level of the boom," Panalope said.

  I ran to the mast and then looked up. Nothing was perched on the boom or sail, but I started to get the feeling that something was watching us.

  There was a boat hook hanging from hooks in the port railing. I carefully picked it up and then moved away from the mast. The sky was dark and cloudless. It seemed that nothing should be able to hide, but I still felt like something was above me and watching.

  "See anything?" Panalope asked.

  "No, but that bothers me," I replied. "I feel like something is watching me, but I don't see anything."

  I kept scanning the horizon. The lack of light made it hard to discern if anything was moving. I was about to give up when a shadow flew between Panalope and me. It was only a short distance above the deck of Gypsy.

  The shadow moved so quickly I could not tell what it was, but I felt the wind of its passage.

  "That your shadow?" I asked.

  "Kaven? What is it?" Panalope asked.

  "I don't know. Whatever it is, nothing like it lives in the islands," I replied.

  "Is it dangerous?" Panalope asked.

  There was a splash in the distance off the starboard side. "To fish, I'd guess. We are probably too big for it to tangle with, but there might be something bigger out there," I replied.

  "What do we do?" Panalope asked.

  "We'll have to be careful and watch," I said.

  "At least we are together," Panalope said fatalistically as Gypsy continued to sail through the night.

  Chapter 21: Exploring the Coastline

  Panalope and I spent the rest of the night standing next to the tiller and worrying about what might be out there. I watched all around, jumping at every splash we heard. The shadows never again flew over the decks, but we spotted them several times during the night.

  When false dawn finally arrived the last of the shadows flew off towards the shoreline. I strained to see what was hiding in the darkness, but the shadow flowed through a small gap in the trees and vanished.

  "Do we talk about it?" Panalope asked me as sunlight began to brighten the sky.

  "We have to," I said. "The others need to know to watch for those creatures."

  "What creatures?" Hadlor said.

  "Not sure," I replied as I looked at the shoreline. We could see a dense forest that stopped where the rocks of the beach began. "All we ever saw were shadows. From what we saw they are a bit smaller than a person. It was almost like they were flying over the water and catching fish that came too close to the surface."

  "Like I'd believe that," Culax said. "I never saw something like that and I was awake half the night."

  "I did," Jessop said as he stood up and began walking towards the tiller. "They circled the ship once and then paced us on the starboard side."

  "Why didn't I see them?" Culax asked.

  "They are just a shadow in the air," I said. "Unless they pass in front of something, you can't see them in the dark sky."

  "I first noticed them because one flew over a reflection of the moon I could see in the water off the port side," Panalope said. "But it seemed they weren't very interested in the ship."

  "They did hang around it," I said. "But I don't know why."

  "Our passage must have stirred up the fish," Ushcail said. "I've seen the passage of a galley disrupt a school of fish back in the Islands."

  I looked over at the shoreline. It seemed like the trees were pulling away from the ocean. I ran over to the railing trying to get a closer look.

  "What?" Hadlor said.

  "Look at the forest and the shoreline. The trees came down almost to the water, but now we have an open area. But its not stone," I said. "I was trying to get a better look."

  "We don't have a place to land," Ushcail said. "And with the current, we can't anchor and let you swim ashore."

  "I could make it," Culax said.

  "We couldn't keep Gypsy in one place. The current is strong enough that it could drag us or break the anchor line. There are no currents this strong in the islands so no one thought we’d need a strong anchor line," Ushcail said. "Let's watch and see if there are any inlets or large rivers we can pull into."

  "I see nothing," Culax snarled. "But that clear area can't be
natural. This coastline has been all trees since we left that harbor."

  "Not all trees," I said as I watched the land pass. It did seem rather unnatural. The color was a mottled tan with areas of grey. It was not flat, but seemed to be made of waves of what might be sand.

  "Is that sand?" Panalope asked.

  "Seems to be sand," I said. "But why is it here?"

  My wondering was partially answered by the sight of a stone tower. It sat on the edge of two large pools. The pools appeared to have a connection to the ocean. The other side of the tower was linked to the sand. A couple of stone causeways ran from the tower to the coast line.

  "Hey!" Hadlor said. "We can probably dock. I see that there is the remnants of what must have been one of those stone piers we hear that the empire used."

  "That pier looks rather crumbled," I said as I looked at the remnants of the pier. It was only about half as long as the other ones we had seen.

  "We'll take it slow," Ushcail said. "Jessop once we pass the pier we'll make a hard turn to starboard."

  "Starboard sir?" he asked.

  "Yes, I want to turn the ship completely around and use the wind to slow us against the current before we approach the pier. We'll approach the pier so that it is on the port side of the ship. That will allow the pier to shield us from the current once we tie off," Ushcail said.

  "It might be hard to leave," Jessop said. "But it does seem like a wise way to handle it. Men, get to the ropes. We'll have to make several adjustments to the sails as we turn."

  I raced to the bow and started organizing the lines I would need. Everyone watched the pier pass us.

  "I see it," Panalope called out. "It looks like it’s always been short. There is no sign of crumbling and the water is clear to the bottom."

  "Bring her around carefully," Ushcail said. "Lucis, watch the foresail, we need to keep it out of the water."

  I started to pull on the ropes. The turn somehow caused the ship to lean to starboard. The deck sloped alarmingly as the wind caught the mainsail and pushed us over. "Hang on!" Jessop called out.

  "Don't flip us!" Culax shouted. "What are you thinking?"

  "The current caught the hull," Jessop said as the ship recovered. The bow was pointed away from the shoreline. "We'll have to turn a bit slower."